DR MILLEN COUGHTREY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 26

DR MILLEN COUGHTREY.

I The death is announced this week of } Dr Millen Coughtrey, in h:s sixty-first j year. The comparative suddenness of his j demise will come as a shock upon the 1 communitj', In which he was such a wellknown figure.' He was taken ill on Thursday week,, and the assistance of Dre Fitchett and Marshall Macdonald was called in. His condition from the first was alarming, and he continued to sink, breathj ing hie last on Saturday evening. The cause of his death was a heart trouble. Dr Coughtrey first came under the public eye in the capacity of professor of anatomy at the University of Otago, then •an independent and self-governing body. The classes were then held in the building now known as the Stock Exchange Buildings. He held the degrees of M.8., CM. (Edinburgh University, with honours), and was previously demonstrator at Liverpool University. After holding the position, for uome voars he went into practice. He was a man of very energetic and sanguine habit, and took considerable part in public affairs. He was member, and for i time deputy chairman, of the Drainage Board during its mest arduous years. He was associated with the Otago Hussars, in the capacity of surgeon-captain foi a great many years, and was afterwards promoted to the rank of Surgeon- colonel on the Staff of the First Regiment of Otago Mounted Rifles,- and held that rank until his death. He was ako closely associated) with Rugby football. He was vice-president of the I Otago Rugby Football Union in 1885 and 1886, and president from 1887 to 1890 (inclusive), becoming vice-president again in 1891 and 1892. He was also a vice-presi-dent of the Philharmonic Society. For 1 J some years he was loc^ secretary of the Royal Humane Society. He was a public vaccinator, and at the time of his death was surgeon to the Gaol, a position which he took up on the death of Dr Burns. Among other positions filled by him was that of councillor in the Borough of St. Kilda. The deceased was a lover of manly sporr. He was passionately fond of horses, and about 20 years ago raced a horse or two, the most notable one being the Tubal Cain horse Coupon. Dr Coughtrey undertook, on behalf of the Organisation Committee, the task of equipping the Fourth Contingent of troopers for active service in South Africa during the period" of the war excitement, and his devotion to his self-imposed task at the time earned for him the gratitude of all the committee. The sacrifice of time and neglect of his professional business at that period were very heavy, and a member of the committee estimates that the pecuniary lose to the Doctor was not less than £500 ; but to a< man with his profoundly patriotic instincts personal loss in such an emergency did not weigh heavily. He was also a man of generous as well as patriotic nature, and it is well known that in the practi>e of his profession and in other ways he did generous deeds, which will live long hi the memories of many citizens. At Siindaj's military service at All Saints' Church Dean Fitchett admirably f-ummed up in a few words the ealient points of the deceased a.entleman'6 charac-

ter. In an address before the sermon, the Dean spoke as follows :—"I: — "I mention in church with groat regret the death of Dr Coughtrey, which occurred last night. For many years Dr Coughtrev and his family were parishioners of All Saints'. These of you who knew him, and many of you must have known him well, will know that Dr Coughtrey had a very high conception of the obligations- of citizenship. His public spirit and patriotic feeling led him to «ek occasions of serving the community, often at the sacrifice of his private and professional interests. His was no eelfish life. During the 6tress of the So^th African war no man amongst us laboured with more zeal in equipping the contingents despatched from this part of New Zealand He held the commission of eurgeon-major in our Defence Force, and, I believe, served as a Volunteer civil surgeon in the Franco-German war. In this gathering of men enrolled and enibedied for national defence, h's name, today, when he is lying dead, must be mentioned with honour. And every one of us will give the sineerest sympathy to his family in their b€reavement." The interment was a private one.