DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12713, 16 November 1904, Page 6

DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Cmarfhiw rX'J '•'•l''}" : ■ i"t \ -,';- W:ssP- L ..• •'-' y'\' ! "> %Y&'iwiss< At the inquest held at the Wellington Hospital on Saturday afternoon, touching the death of George Smith while render chloroform, previous .to undergoing an .operation at the institution, Br. Jiwart, medical superintendent, said deceased was admitted to the institution on December 5, 1903, suffering from fracture oi. the right, thigh. The operation of wiring the bone had been decided' on lately,' and was to have beefci performed on the day of the patient's death. Deceased consented to the operation taking place. Dr. Marks administered the chloroform. Immediately before matter went wrong tlie patient was looking well and ! breathing freely. Witness was quite satis- } tied > that -deceased, was in a fit " condition <■ to i undergo the operation. The change in his condition - must i have £ been : very 3 sudden. Artificial respiration i was used ; and stryohnine injected without : result. K•. The opera-' tion had') not / been; commenced: when -I', the change in the patient's condition took place. Witness'could not]' give J any | theory as to the cause of death. ,-'.ln cases .'of the hind it was impossible to divine' the reason. A patient might take an abajstlwtio well one day and badly the next* , Id- deceased's case other would not have ; been suitable, owing to the previous attack of pneumonia. Witness was / -aitw&ed thelung had sufficiently recovered to administer eb.oiolorm.: Dr. Marks, assistant medical'/officer at the hospital, in evidence/ said 'he bad ■ examined deceased's heart previous"''to-the operation. Its action was a little rapid, but not more ii& than in nearly all cases where a' patient was about to undergo an operation. About four minutes aftei commencing the administration of chloroform the face of the patient became cyano»ed; ; The tongue was drawn, out, and artificial ' respiration used, but ■ the air would not enter.the' lungs.' It was hard to account for the cause of this. The Coroner ; " There ; was nothing in : the throat? . . • Witness replied that he put his finger in the throat aad found nothing. Mr. Wl J. Smith: Did you notice a growth in the throat" 1 Dr. Marks: No. Mr. Smith explained that his father had been treated' by Dr.;':Ronald;in. Napier for a growth in the throat. . ■ It whs a - very unusual case. . The growth appeared one night, and seemed., to come; down ; like ■ a bladder from the roof of the mouth. ■■ > ' Dr.; Marks stated, : further, that the patient had.: never complained tof anything of this kind. : „ He (witness) - had i administered anaesthetics in ft several hundreds of cases, And had never had 11- mishap. "> 1 The Coroner: You can't account for the change in deceased's condition'/ : . Witness : No ; I can't - account for it. ; ; Dr. liielop also gave evidence. The jury returned a V verdict v that ; the chloroform had proper iy administered, uiid that death was due to misadventure.