THE ALLEGED MALPRACTICE CASE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 186, 24 November 1876, Page 3

THE ALLEGED MALPRACTICE CASE.

With regard to Che extraordinary story which is g"ing the? round* of tho Pre**, of a bull-dog ft M'tfi-f** having l>.:en up us the body of a woman after the performance of an operation, we extr:-':t '■'o following particulars from a iielboume paper:— A woman named Charlotte Contey, aged forty-nine, was operated upon by Mr. 11. Robertson, on September 22, for ovarian tumor, in the presence of other surgeons. The case was a very bad one, and there was considered to be little or tit* hope of the patient's life. During the operation, a pair of boll-dog forceps (a small instrument less than an inch long, and something like a paper-clasp) was used to hold the artery. As is usual, some of the surgeons present weru invited by the operator to feel the interior of the wound, antl one of them in doing so accidentally touched the forcep* with the cud' of his shirt sleeve, the result being that the artery and the forceps immediately sprang back inwards, and were lost sight of. Alt the aixrgeons present were aware of the accident, bat owing to the precarious state of the patient, it was considered dangerous to search for the forceps at the time, it being considered that if the woman recovered the wound could be re-opened, and the instrument extracted. The wound was therefore sewn up, leaving the forceps inside. Before closing the wound, the operator asked the nurse attending whether she had the proper number of sponges. This is a question always asked at the end of such operations, in which several sponges are used to absorb thßf flow of blood. The nurse answered in the affirmative, and no idea was entertained that anything beyond the forceps had been left in the wound. The patient was then removed front the operating table to her hud, and died on the following day from exhaustion, and hemorrhage, twenty-one hours after the operation. A pod mortem examination of the body was held on September 23, when, in addition to the foru(>pH which was expected to be found, a uponge was- discovered in the interior of tlio wound. The medical committee, to whom, the matter has been referred tor in- ; mtigatiou, consists of the following :- Mr. Girdlestoue (chairman), Mr. Blair, itr. it. Robertson (the operator concerned). Mr. Rankin, and l>rs. Dempster. Roekett. Haig, Maleolmaon, Barrett, ami Rall'stfudley. .