DEATH IN SURGERY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20562, 13 May 1930, Page 11

DEATH IN SURGERY.

COLLAPSE OF PATIENT.

EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST.

At the adjourned inquest held yesterday into the death of Horace William .Reynolds, who collcpsed in a dental surgery at. Newmarket on Friday, it was stated that the deceased had a fatal seizure before being placed under anaesthetic.

Dr. W. H. Thomas, who was to administer the anaesthetic, said the cause of death was heart failure due to a struggle when deceased was only lightly anaesthetised. Dr. Thomas said he had attended to the deceased for several years. Two years previously he had advised the deceased to have his teeth extracted but the deceased said he took anaesthetic badly. He had examined deceased's heart before the administration of the anaesthetic. Deceased had a violent struggling attack prior to his going under the anaesthetic. Restorative measures had been tried for over an hour without success.

Attempts to restore the deceased were also described by Dr. W. M. McCormick, who was .called in by Dr. Thomas. He said it appeared that the deceased had not been under the anaesthetic.

Mr. F. K. Hunt, S-M., coroner, found that death was due to heart failure caused by an excessive struggle by "deceased while about, to undergo anaesthetic. Later, he withheld the finding in order to allow further questioning of the medical witnesses by the representative of deceased's relatives. Accordingly the inquest was adjourned sine die.