The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1888. THE TUPAEKA HOMICIDE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1799, 26 March 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MARCH 26, 1888. THE TUPAEKA HOMICIDE.

That was an altogether shameful and disgraceful affair which occurred in the Tuapeka district the other day. Two men who had, of course, been drinking, quarrelled and got into a scuffle, when one, drawing a knife, stabbed the other in the groin. Profuse bleeding followed, and though the wound was not necessarily fatal, nor even really daogerous if properly treated, the injured man was thrsigh ignorance and indifference absolutely allowed to bleed to death. Medical assistance was indeed summoned, but summoned too late, the greatest carelessness being Bhown even in this matter, one man entrusted with a message for the doctor having failed to deliver it. In the first instance all the mischief would have been avoided but for the drink • in the next, had the man who committed the assault possessed a spark of manliness he would never have resorted to- the un-English and cowardly course of using a knife ; and in the third place, but for the ignorance ot everybody about him the injured man might easily have been saved, the doctor deposing at the inquest that the bleeding might have been stopped by the simple expedient of pressing a thumb upon the severed artery. In such instances as this > and in connection with a number of other exceedingly simple matters, both in medicine and surgery, there is frequent evidence of the necessity of extending the popular education. Tn our larger towns and cities this is to some extent provided for by the formation of Ambulance Societies, and by the occasional delivery of popular ■ lectures, but in country districts and village centres there are no such means available, although there is no immunity Ironi accident or disease rendering a knowledge of the way to treat them unnecessary. It would, therefore, we think, be very well if elementary lessons in such matters could be imparted to the elder pupils in our public schools, for if this were the case the risk of life being absolutely thrown away through sheer ignorance under such circumstances as occurred in the Tuapeka case would be very much diminished, if not altogether removed.