DEATH OF PATIENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20656, 30 August 1930, Page 12

DEATH OF PATIENT.

SVRONCt anaesthetic used. [ERROR MADE BY NURSE. EVIDENCE AT THE INQUEST. JHE, SURGEONS EXONERATED. TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CII IILSTC 11U H Cll. Friday. "That death was due to alkaloidal poisoning caused by cocaine which was injected bv mistake, instead of neocaine, round tho tonsils prior to an operation for their removal," was the verdict returned by the coroner, Mr. 11. A. \oung, S.M., at the inquest into the death of Miss Violet Monica Salmond, who died ot St. George's Hospital. In a rider tho coroner stated that no blame was attachable to the operating surgeons.

Evidence was given that Miss Salmond xras 37 years of age and was head mistress of Craighead Diocesan School, Timaru. She had been in New Zealand for four years and had no relatives hete. Agnes Rita Clarkson, registered nuise, who was the theatre nurse at the time of tho operation, said that she had been three and a-half years in the Christcluireli public Hospital and had been registered for font' years. She had been at St. George's for three and a-half months and was relieving in tho theatre in place of the regular nurse, who was on holiday. A local anaesthetic of cocaine and adrenalin had been applied about the affected part by Dr. Crawshaw. When Dr. Mac Gibbon camo in ho asked foz tho local anaesthetic for further painting of tho nose. Then ho asked for tho anaesthetic in a syringe. " Had Not Head Label Properly." Witness said she put cocaine and adrenalin in tho syringe and handed it to tho doctor, who started to inject it. Within a few minutes Dr. Crawshaw ssked what was in tho syringe. Witness told him. She should havo put in neocaine, which she had used on two occasions before. On the bottle was a label with the words "For local application and not for injection." Witness had not read the label properly or she would have known not to use that anaesthetic. She knew what injection and application meant, but- had failed to realise that Dr. Mac Gibbon wanted neocaine.

Dr. Thomas Arthur Mac Gibbon, specialist in nose, ear and eye diseases, corrobor ated the latter part of Nurse Clarkson s evidence. A few minutes after lie began to operate the patient became restless. She became worse and he ordered ONygen and began various methods of artificial respiration. The patient was unconscious and the heart could scarcely be felt. Artificial respiration was continued and about. 11.45 a.m. the patient seemed to have settled down. Her heart beats were about 24 to the minute. At 12.30 she seemed well on the road to recovery and later Dr. Crawshaw saw her and said she seemed all right. At 3.10 p.m. tho matron telephoned witness and when lie reached the hospital Miss Salmond was dead.. Artificial respiration was tried [without result. An Explanation Advanced. Witness said that when ho asked for an injection he expected the nurse to give him a neocaine as she had done at a previous operation. A trained nurse would know that a white dish was used with a syringe. The neocaine was put in a special small dish and was sterile. "The only explanation I can give is that the nurse was flurried, and did not understand that the cocaine-adrenalin mixture was not used for injections," said ■witness. "I took it for granted that shs would know what I wanted, and I did not specify neocaine." The cause of death, he said, was alkaloidal poisoning due to cocaine. Dr. J. W. Crawshaw gave corroborative evidence. Daisy Thwaites, matron of St. George's Hospital, said that Nurse (_ larkson was sn attentive and skilful nurse. She had had a good theatre training. The late Miss Salmond was a cousin of Air-Marshal Sir John Salmond, v.ho Tolired New Zealand about two years ago investigating the prospects of the country for commercial aviation. She was a graduate of the London University and had extensive teaching experience in Lug- ' land.