PATIENT'S DEATH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22225, 27 September 1935, Page 14

PATIENT'S DEATH

COLLAPSE IN HOSPITAL

RELATIVES' ALLEGATIONS

STATEMENTS AT INQUEST

Evidence given at the resumed inquest into the death of Norman Burgess, who died in the Auckland Hospital on August 19, caused a further adjournment, it being stated by the father and brother of deceased that they saw that his tongue was missing prior to the post-mortem examination. The coroner was Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M. Sergeant Jones conducted the inquest for the police, and Mr. Sullivan appeared for relatives of deceased. Dr. \V. G. Bridgman said he was conducting an operation on deceased tor the removal of the tonsils and an obstruction in the nose, and it had proceeded normally for about 13 minutes, when the patient suddenly" stopped breathing. Restorative measures were at once adopted and continued for half at), hour. but the patient was dead. Witness had been operating on the nose nnd no operation had been performed ,to the throat. Questions by Counsel Questioned by Mr. Sullivan, witness Baid rhe tongue was pulled forward purposely during restorative treatment but i\vas not excised. The usci of forceps on the tongue might causa slight bleeding. Regarding a sponge alleged to have been seen in deceased';; mouth, witness said a small portion of tho sponge put into the back of the nose to prevent blood dropping into the throat [would bo visible through the mouth, and this might have been dislodged into the mouth when the body was removed later from the operating table. Ho had discussed the case with other doctors and had heard no mention of the excision of the tongue before. Dr. C. M. M ules, who administered ihe anaesthetic during tho operation, said deceased had told him ho had had «n operation before. His heart and lungs ; appeared to be normal. The tongue was not excised during the operation. It was removed at the postjnortem examination. This was quite a usual procedure in a case of this kind, •when it was desired to ascertain whether the windpipe was clear. Father's Evidence The father of deceased, George A\ilJoughby Burgess, stated that his son lad prfssed an examination for tho aiavy, a moith beforo his death. Ho was a wrestler, boxer, uwimmer, hockey j>layer, bushman arid representative footballer. Ho seemed perfectly healthy ■except that he had been advised by a doctor to have an obstruction to his no*je and his tonsils removed. Witness said ho was notified at 1.20 p.m. on the afternoon of the operation, that' his son had died At tho hospital witness collapsed, and when ho recovered, Dr. J. W. Craven was discussing tho post-mortem with witness' wife. When ho objected, Dr. Craven said the coroner would decide. Ho was shown-his son's body in the ward shortly before two o'clock and saw that the tongue was missing. Alfred Burgess, brother of deceased, iftlso said there was no tongue in the mouth when ho saw the body in the ;ward. Further Evidonce Sought The two things to which they wished to direct attention, said Mr. Sullivan, •were the evidence of when the tongue "was removed, and the fact that no notification had beem given to tho 'father of when the post-mortem was to •he held. . The coroner said he was surprised that Mr. Burgess bad not mentioned to him at the opening of the inquest the matters now raised. When ho received the post-mortem report from Br. E. F. Fowler, which stated that the heart was greatly enlarged, weighing 200z., the kidneys also of abnormal fiize, and that death appeared to be due to hyj)ertrophy of heart and congestive heart failure, it had appeared it would be necessary only to determine whether normal precautions had been -taken. It wc-uld bo well to have further evidence from Dr. Fowlor. Mr. Sullivan said he might also call further evidence, and the inquest was adjourned until next Wednesday afternoon.