CORONER'S INQUEST.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14210, 27 May 1910, Page 7

CORONER'S INQUEST.

DEATH UNDEIi CHLOROFORM. An inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death ol Thos. Gladwin. ;u the j'inuii'u Hospital, on Wednesday afternoon. was lie Id at the limam C«»urt-house yesterday morning, hctero Mr V. G. Day. District Coroner. Serjeant .Bowman representing the police. Or. J)i-yden stated that lie was notified m an ope:*ation at the E.o?pital on Wednesday afternoon, and alter 2 o clock deceased was on tho operating table. Witness was present to administer the anaesthetic. He had inquired into Gladwin's previous history. and examined him on the table—lie was in a weak condition. TJio operation was a bsohitoly necessary. V\ itne-v? first of all administered a chlorotone and ether mixture. From his onqncud e::amh• ation. witness eonoludeu . ■; it was quite safe to adiiiiu><uer chli roform. As a cautery had to 1)0 used for the mouth, he went on with chloroform only. The operation started. Dr. Talbot. operating, assisted by Dr. I'lrich. All went well tor some time, and then witness notieed. and Dr. Talbot also, that Gladwin was regaining consciousness. The mask had been off for a- short time, and witness re-aoplied it, with the usual quantity oi" anaesthetic. Almost immediately—at the iirst inspiration— Gladwin's heart and respiration stopped simultaneously. All means ot resuscitation were immediately applied, but did not have any effect, lie did not breathe, nor did his heart beat again. J lie Coroner: "When, you not-iced that deceased was regaining consciousness, was there anything in his condition to warn you not to administer further chloroform ? —No.

-Hurl Gladwin ever been under an anaesthetic* beforer es, twice, quite recently. One had lasted for 1;J hours. Deceased at the end showed of spasms in the larynx.

Was there anything in that to warn you?— Just that we should watch him carefully, hut ho had no further spasms on Wednesday.

Dr .lalbot said that he had known deceased for about six weeks, having Urst seen him in a, consultation with Dr. Gabites on account of a growth far oack on the side of the tongue. After the consultation they decided that it was cancer, and it was agreed to send him under witness's care to the hospital lor an operation. The very ser:<ius nature of the case was explained to deceased, and ho was warned that the operation was of a very dangerous kind. Deceased decided to take the risk. On May Ist an anaesthetic was administered by Dr. Ulrieh, and Dr. 3.lurs'inll extracted his teeth, which were in a bad condition. Witness was not present, but he understood the patient took the chloroform well. On May 12th all the glands on left side of the neck were removed, and the extern?.! artery which supplied the tongue, was ligatured, so as to render the subsequent removal of the tongue •ease. _ and prevent bleeding. This operation took an hour and threequarters. The ana-esthetic was administered by Dr. Burns, and the patient stood it well until towards the end. when there was a certain amount of 'spasm of the larynx, which soon passed away. Deceased made a good recovery from this operation, and was able to move about. The main operation was to take place on Wednesday, this being for the removal of the whole of the tongue, which was, however, not. such a serious operation as the preceding one. Dr. Dryden administered vhlnroform and ether, and as witness had to use the electric cautery on the mouth, he asked him to use chloroform alone on account- of the risk of the •"yio" patching fire. When the pa-

tient was ready, lie began tlie operaturn. When about a quarter of it liad been gone the patient began to .show signs ot c-ouieioua-uess, so wiiuess discontinued. The mask was again placed over the lace, and l'urther chioroiorm administered. A very shore- time after that there were indications that his heart was failing. Ariiiicial respiration was begun at oiue. Witness immediately periormed trueheotomv. and -oxygen was administered direct to tlio lungs Through a tube. The artiiicial respiration was continued tor over iiali-an-hour. and, towards the end the heart was massaged. Ihu this had no effect. ' hie would s;iy th;;c (he right proportions nt' t'hlorofonn had heeu used. Or. Diydi;n said that oO drops had been u>ed with the mask. Dr. I inch. resident surgeon at the I :niaru .f-iosiuiai., said that deceased was adntil'i'ed on April i2dth 3 suii'ering irom cii-icer i-i tlie tongue. On .May Ist witness administered chloroform, and deceased suil'ered no ill effects. Chi -May ll'ih a long operation was performed on the neck, which was anceessiul. and deceased had beer, walking about- since then. On Wednesday the patient- as put under an anaesthetic by j)r. i)ryden. l':>r ihe final .staire 01 the operation, lie had heard the jc»i by j)rs. Dryuen and Jao.-ut, and these were correct. In \vilue y -; s opinion the operation was nece.-;s i ry. ' and urgent, and it was reasonably sau to administer ihe aiiae.-t:i;:tk\ Deceased knew ihe risk lit- was and was perfectly willing to go under the operation. Death was due i;> syncope whilst under eh'onu'i:". 1 tionry Gladwin. snid that he I was a son < \ the deceased, and idouiilied the body lying in the Hospital Morgue as that ;;i" Ids father. 'I ne Coroner returned a verdict in nf-ciii daiij -*-» w:;.h the medical evidence — That dea; h was due to syncope whilst tinder chloroform.