AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LX, Issue 143786, 9 May 1912, Page 7

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL.

AN IMPORTANT INQUIRY. Por Press Association AUCKLAND May 9. An inquiry was held at the hospital into the allegations made concerning the death in the institution of a young man, who was treated for appendicitis, from tetanus. Aledical evidence was given contradicting tho statement that there was a tetanus patient in tho same ward as deceased. There was a tetanus patient in the hospital, but not in tho same ward or the same building. The infection, it was stated, canio from within, not from without. Tho assertion was made that five per cent, of all normal adults had tetanus in the bowels.

A member of the board asserted that when the matron was called she would give sensational evidence. AVhen she appeared he asked if she had not declared the case under notice was “a case of manslaughter if ever there was one.” She gave this an absolute denial. Fa nelly, representing the society of which deceased was a member, accepted the medical evidence as satisfactory, and apologised for making the statement, which he was led to believe by a member of tho board was capable of 1 substantiation.

The relatives of deceased expressed themselves as completely satisfied, and the committee passed a resolution exonerating tho honorary hospital and nursing staff from the charge of negligence or want of attention.