INQUEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18606, 14 July 1922, Page 2

INQUEST

DEATH IN HOSPITAL. The coroner (Mr. J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) held an inquest yesterday afternoon into the circumstances under which the death took place of Samuel Clarkson, 60 years of age, who died in the Dunedin Hospital on Wednesday. On August 20, 1921, the deceased was riding a horse which bolted, and the rider, having lost his seat, was dragged 50 yards. He was unconsicous when picked up. and was conveyed to the Dunstan Hospital. He remained there for five months and a-half, where h A was operated upon. Mr J. S. Sinclair represented the relatives of the deceased. Dr Colvin, . assistant medical officer ,at the Dunedin Hospital, said that the deceased had been admitted to the Dunedin Hospital on January 18, 1922. He was suffering from a maf-united fracture of the right femur, which had been sustained some time previously. An operation had been performed by Dr White on January 20, and the patient had made a good recovery. He was discharged on May 1, the condition of the leg being much improved. He was still unable to get about without crutches. An X-rays was then token, and a dislocation of the right pelvis bone had been diagnosed. He was readmitted to the Hospital on June 22, and was operated upon on June 30, an attempt being mode to fix the right pelvis bone so that it could bear any weight transmitted to it. The patient kept well until July 8, when he was found to be suffering from tetanus or lockjaw. He was given treatment, but showed no sign of improvement, and died on Wednesday, July 12. The cause of death had been heart failure due to tetanus, which m turn had developed after an operation for the correction of a' deformity of the right pelvis bone. The deformity to the right pelvis bone was quite consistent with the presumed cause-closing his seat on a horse he was riding, and being dragged 50 yards. To Mr Sinclair; Prior to being admitted to the Dunedin Hospital the deceased had been in the Dunstan Hospital. He had not been operated on at the Dunstan Hospital. The history of the case had been received from the deceased himself, but not from, the Dunstan authorities. Had an X-ray examination of the deceased been made on admittance they would probably have discovered that deceased had a deformity of the right pelvis bone. Their attention had been directed in the first place to the injury to the right femur. Witness had no reason to think otherwise than that the second injury was in existence when the patient had been admitted to the Dunedin Hospital Edwin B. Green, Inspector of the Mines Department for Otago and Southland, said that the deceased had been employed for a number of years at various coal mines in the district. The deceased had been manager of the Lauderdale ooal mine, near Becks. On August 21 1921, witness received notification that the deceased had met with an accident on the previous day while dismounting from his horse at the mine, his foot having taught in the stirrup. He next received notification from Clarkson himself, from the Dunstan Hospital, getting out the nature of his injuries and describing how he had met with them. Tie horse had either kicked or tramped on him. Before the accident the deceased was an active man for his age, and was always at his work. He could not have gone about his work had there been anything wrong with his legs. The Coroner said his verdict was that death had been caused by heart failure due to tetanus, following on a necessary operation for an injury to the right pelvis bone, the injury being caused by deceased being dragged from a horse he was riding at Laudorlane, near Becks, on August 21