OPERATION AT SEA.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12678, 21 June 1934, Page 5

OPERATION AT SEA.

SECOND EDITION

SWAB LEFT IN BODY. POST-MORTEM DISCOVERY. Electric Telegraph—Press Association AUCKLAND. Last Night. The post-mortem disclosure of a* swab in the body of deceased was reported at an inquest held by All* F. K. Hunt, S AI., into the death of John Gillies, aged 2G. single, an as-sistant-steward on the Alouowai, who underwent an operation for appendicitis on the vessel on June u and who died in the Auckland hospital on June 15. At the’opening of the inquest. Air Gray, who represented the >nip's do - tor and the Union Company, asked that the proceedings he taken in camera, as he considered no good purpose could be gained by publicity, but the Coroner declined to agree. Robert James Boyd said 1 ship’s surgeon on the Alonowai On June 9 deceased was suffering from acute peritonitis, prising from chronia appendicitis, and was operated on early in the afternoon. The anaesthetic, which was at first, chloroform ami later ether, was administered bv the chief officer, Thomas William White, and a steward was assisting generally. The patient was .in a very bad condition. “During tlie o]>eration tin■ patient appeared to be sinking, and 1 had to leave him to get ;< fiypodi n irged with adrenalin." witness continued. “He seemed to n I told the anaesthetist to continue with the a wa esthetic. “I have since heard that p swab v.*as found in deceased. If that v.as so. it- must have slipped in *. •. • \ was getting tlie hypodermic, because I laid the swab over the wound while I went to get it. The swab would be made of lint and might be 2Jin. by 3§in., or even 3in. by Sin. I do not know how many swabs I used. “The steward, wlio had assisted three 7>revious similar operations, g repared them. 3 asked the steward ow* many swabs there were, but he raid lie did not know, and we < ould not wait, as the patient was ~ h a bad condition. Tin* patient at * time made any real progress towards recovery, and l did bi I s| 1 1 him to recover." Witness added that the inflammatory condition of the peritoneum was too widespread. Tlie presence of the swab would have done him no immediate harm. Later on. if ho had recovered from the serious condition brought about by the peritonitis, the swab might have made its presence apparent and would then have been removed. Dr. Fowler, assistant pathologist at the Auckland hospital, who conducted the post-mortem examination, detailed the discovery of the swab. Ho said the cause of death was acute gem rails* d perit< nitas and pai lyt ileus. “I would say that all the swab might do would be to retard bis ultimate recovery. but that it had nothing to do with his actual death witness said. “1 think lie would h died in any case If the peritonitis had lx?en cleared up tlie swab wouM have been discovered." **E think it has been wijide * rfeefcly clear that the misadventure with the swab in no way caused the death of this unfortunate man," said Afr Hunt* in returning a verdict that death was due to acute general peritonitis and paralytic ileus. “He was in a parlour condition when operated on and there was small chance of his recovery." Air Hunt said he sympathised with the doctor in the matter; he had had *to carry out a difficult o]>orntion at a minute’s notice without skilled assistance.