DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 3557, 2 May 1901, Page 3

DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

UHX/JJll vnuvuujLvmii' • Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 1. At the inquiry into the circumstances relating to the death of John McGire, who died at Auckland hospital under chloroform, the witnesses examined included the parents and sisters of the deceased, ana two medical gentlemen, Dr T. Hope Lewis, who held the post mortem examination, and Dr Scott, who was performing an operation on the nose of deceased when he expired. Dr iLewis' evidence went to show that while certain of the organs were of abnormal growth and the heart was not iia a normal condition, the general health of deceased was such that he would not ascribe death to these causes. Certain of the relatives alleged that on asking an explanation from Dr Adams, of . the permanent staff, who administered the chloroform, some two or three hours after death, they were informed that the patient's heart was perfectly sound, and that death was the result of "an Unforeseen accident through the use of a wrong instrument." This statement, they said, was then qualified by the doctor stating that death was due to the use of "an instrument," the word " wrong" being omitted in the qualification. Dr Scott, in the course of his evidence, said that there was no reason whatever for the suggestion that a wrong instrument had been used, or that the correct instrument was wrongly used. The inquiry will be continued on Friday.