THE LATE PREMIER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1107, 19 May 1893, Page 35

THE LATE PREMIER.

MEETING OF THE MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. Dr Fell, peoretary of the Wellington Branoh of the Medical Association, supplies the following:— At a reoent meeting of the Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Medical Association the late Premier's medical attendants read an acoount of bis illness, and Drs Fooks' and Cane's report on. the post-mortem examination. It was resolved, 'That the Wellington Medical Association are of opinion that the accounts which appeared in the daily papers of the late Premier's Illness, and of the operation performed upon him, were incorrect and misleading; and that the association desires that the following statement ba published :—That having heard the detailed description of the case, and the treatment adopted, this meeting is of opinion that the nature of the illness—namely, malignant strioture of the bowel—was adequately dealt with; and that the best possible means were adopted to combat it. The nrgent symptoms of obstruction were relieved by the operation performed ; but, on the distended bowels being emptied of their contents, the patient had not sufficient strength to rally from the shook. As regards the site of the operation, the meeting considers that the post-mortem examination demonstrated that the position selected for making the artifioal opening being, as it was, a very short distance above the strict tare, was the best that could have been chosen. Further, to make the case quite clear, this meeting considers it advisable that the account of the post.mortem ex* amination be published in the daily papers, as well as the fact that only one operation, and not two, as reported, was performed.' There were present at the meeting :•—Drs Grace, Henry, Cleghorn, Fell, France, Rawson, Adams, Cahiil, Anson, James, Ewart, Saunders, Collins, Purdy, Whitehead, Gillon and Mackenzie.

POST-MORTEM REPORT (BY DR ERNEST E. FOOKS AND DR ARTHUR GANE.)

A strioture, apparently malignant, was found about the middle of the descending oolon. This would barely admit tho passage of a slate pencil, and implicated a portion of the bowel not more than an inch in length. A few inohes above this was a considerable dilatation of the colon, whioh was filled with greenish black fluid. Below the stricture the contents of the bowel were of a distinctly different character, being of a light yellow oolour. The transverse colon lay across the lower part of the abdomen in a V form, the point of the V being over the casoum, but not adherent thereto. Here the bowel, for a length of about two feet, was oovered with a layer of old organised lymph. The open* ing into the bowel made at the operation was in about the middle of the transverse colon, a little to the right of the lowest part of the fallen loop of bowel. Portions of the oolon were muoh dilated and re< sembied small intestine in appearance, the anatomical characteristics of the large bowel being obliterated. Throughout the small intestine were numerous dilatations with atrophy of the bowel, alternating with narrower portions, where the intestinal walls teemed fairly normal. In several places in the course of the small intestine were old peritoneal adhesions, easily broken down, and in no case causing serious interference with the lumen of tha bowel. The stomach was dilated and somewhat atrophied, and contained the greenish-black fluid found throughout the intestines above the stricture. The left kidney was somewhat enlarged and congested, the right kidney normal. The liver and gall bladder were normal, The only statement published in this journal was the following, whioh appeared on the morning after the Premier's death ; ' Doctors Fucks and Gaue examined the body after death, and found ft stricture in the course of the howel», which could nut heip proving fatal. There W»8 UO tuiaouritt the Btonuob. or bowels.'