DEATH OF STEWARD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18429, 21 June 1934, Page 4

DEATH OF STEWARD

SEQUEL TO OPERATION SWAB FOUND IN BODY NO IMMEDIATE EFFECT (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. A post-mortem disclosure of a swab hi the body of the deceased was reported at an inquest held’’by Mr. E. K. Hunt, SAL, into the death ol John Gillies, 26, a single mail, assistant steward on the Monowai, who underwent ;m operation for appendicitis on . the. vessel on June 9, and who died in the Auckland Hospital on June 15. At the opening of tiie inquest, Mr. Gray, wlm represented the ship’s doctor and the Union Steam Ship Company, asked that the proceedings be taken m camera, as lie considered that no good purpose could be gained by publicity, but the coroner declined to agree.

Robert James Boyd said he. was the ship’s surgeon on the Monowai on June 9. ' The deceased was suffering from acute peritonitis, arising from 'chronic appendicitis, and was operated on early in the afternoon. An anaesthetic, which was at first chloroform, and later ether, was administered by the chief officer, Thomas William White, and a steward was assisting generally. The patient was in a very bad condition. NOT EXPECTED TO RGCOVE'K

“During the operation the patient appeared to be sinking, and I had to leave him to get a hypodermic charged with adrenalin,” the witness continued. “He seemed to recover, and so I told the anaesthetist to continue with the anaesthetic. I have since heard that a swab was found in the deceased. If that was so, it must have slipped in while I was getting the hypodermic, because I laid a swab over the wound while I went to get it. The swab would be made of lint, and might be 21,in. by 3Jjm., 01even 3in. by sin. 1 do not know bow many swabs-I used. The steward, who had assisted at three, previous similar operations, prepared them. 1 asked the steward how manv swab there were, but he said he did not know, and we could not wait, as the patient was in‘ such a bad condition. The patient at no time made any veal progress towards recovery, and I did not expect him to recover.” The witness added that the inflammatory condition of the peritoneum was too widespread. The presence of the swab would have done him no immediate harm. Liter on, if lie Lad recovered, from the serious condition brought about by the peritonitis, the swab might have made its presence apparent, and would then have been removed.

CORONER’S SYMPATHY Dr, Fowler, assistant pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, who conducted the post-mortem examination, detailed the discovery of the swab. He said the cause of death was acute generalised peritonitis, and paralytic ileus. “1 would say that all tin? swab might do would bo to retard his ultimate recovery, but that it had nothing to do with his actual death,” the witness said. “I think he would have died in any case. If the peritonitis had been cleared up, the swab would have been discovered.” “I think it has been made perfectly clear that the misadventure with the swab in no way caused the death of this unfortunate man,” said Mr. Hunt, in returning a verdict that death was due to acute general peritonitis and paralytic ileus. “He was in a parlous condition when operated on, and there was chance of his recovery,” Air. Hunt said. Ho sympathised with the doctor in the matter, as he had to carry out a difficult operation at minute’s notice without skilled assistance.