MISTAKE IN HOSPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1930, Page 11

MISTAKE IN HOSPITAL

DEATH OF SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AN INJECTION OF NEO-COCAINE* EVIDENCE HEARD AT INQUEST. ’ • ' By Telegraph.—Press Association, ~ n Christchurch, Aug. 29. At the inquest yesterday into the death of. Violet Monica Salmond, aged 37, iekd-mistress of the Craighead Diocesan School, Timaru, who died while a . patient in St.. George’s Hospital, the coroner returned a verdict that death was caused by alkaloid poisoning, due to cocaine which .was by mistake instead of neo-cocaine injected round the tonsils of the patient prior to an operation for removal of the tonsils. No blame was attachable. to the operating surgeons. A nurse gave evidence that she failed to realise that the operating surgeon, Dr T. A. McGibbon, wanted neo-cocaine, and when he asked for an anaesthetic in a syringe she put cocaine and adrenalin in it and . handed' the syringe tp v the doctor,. who ’’ stated injecting. ....... • On the bottle was a label: “For local application, and not Jor injection.” Witness did not road the label properly, or she should have .known ,not to use.it. Dr.’McGibbon in giving evidence said: “The only explanation I can give is that the nurse was flurried and did not understand that the : coeaino-adyenalin mixtijrp tyas .notnised for injections. I took it for granted that she would know what ; I-wanted, and I did. nbt specify neo-cocaine.”