FOOTBALL ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21141, 26 March 1932, Page 10

FOOTBALL ACCIDENTS.

DANGER OF CONCUSSION. advice by medical men. PLAYERS SHOULD LEAVE FIELD. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Advice against allowing players who had received head injury in a game to resume playing in the game was contained in a letter received by the management committee of the New Zealand Rugby Union this week from the secretary of the British Medical Association. The letter was as follows: —• "At the recent conference of this association, held in Auckland the question of 'head injuries' was one of the subjects for discussion in the surgical section. As a result of the views expressed by several members who had had practical experience of this class of injury on the football field a resolution was passed at the annual meeting of the association requesting your union to take action in the matter. "In cases where a player has been stunned during the course of the game and temporarily incapacitated this association is stronglv of the opinion that sucn player should iiot be permitted to resume playing during the course of the game, as unfortunately casc3 have occurred in the past where the player has continued playing and a fatal termination has resulted. "It was felt that a player would not voluntarily leave the field in most cases after an injury of this nature, so thei suggestion was made that your union should take up tho matter with the Referees Association in order that the referee should have the power to prevent a player so injured from taking any further part in the came." Members: Hear, hear. The Chairman, Mr. S. S. Dean: I think this is a very important letter, and one that we ought to circularise to all Rugby unions and referees' associations requesting them to act in accordance with tho advice. . . Mr. J. G. Roach: It is absolutely correct. Tho Chairman: Concussion is a very serious thing. It can hang on for 12 months before you know the results. It was decided to adopt the chairman's suggestion and t° thank the British Medical Association for its letter.