DOCTORS' VAIN EFFORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21794, 8 May 1934, Page 5

DOCTORS' VAIN EFFORT

DEATH OF YOUNG GIRL : VICTIM OF UNCOMMON DISEASE An account of a determined, but un* successful, fight for a girl's life was;, given to the Sydney coroner recently in the course of an inquiry into the death of a girl named Cecilia Monaghan. The girl, who was suffering from Banti's disease —an uncommon ailment —died in hospital while under an anaesthetic on April 10. The girl's father, a potter, said that on January 3 his daughter went with a party to Manly. He was informed on her return that she had been in tho water nearly all day, and that on the boat coming home she lay down and went to sleep, and when she awoke became sick, and suffered hemorrhage. Other hemorrhages followed, and witness took her to the hospital. Dr. W. S. Charlton, resident ?t tho hospital, said that tho girl was suffering from Banti's disease. On April 10 I)r. T. M. Furber performed an operation of splenectomy. Witness administered the anaesthetic. "The girl died from shock and loss of blood practically at the end of the operation, which caused failure of the heart's action," said witness. '"Her condition suddenly fell off, and I started artificial respiration. After it had continued for a minute or so I saw an eyelid flicker. "We injected ten minims of adrenalin into tho heart and one cubic centimetre of coramino into the arm. We removed her into a room 15ft. from the theatre and started; to administer an intravenous saline. "It soon became apparent that tho saline would not flow into veins in which tho blood was not running. Lxamination showed life to bo extinct. Nevertheless, wo persisted with artificial respiration, which had not stopped since begun for another 15 minutes. We were satisfied then that the patien was dead, and no further efforts were Tho coroner found that tho gill died from heart failure under an anaesthetic. Ho further found the anaesthetic; was properly administered,- and that,. when unfavourable symptoms manifested themselves, every effort was', made to restore animation.