BARBAROUS HUN SURGERY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 151, 21 March 1919, Page 6

BARBAROUS HUN SURGERY

WOUNDS OPENED WITHOUT ANAESTHETIC.

Moro facts about criminal Hun doctors and the barbarous treatment by guards j of British prisoners were given Jit an in- j quest in London oil Robert Vanler, 22, Northampton Regiment. This is the third inquest, on victims of the linns. Before his death Varder stated that ho misunderstood the order of a German guard, who hit hiin with the butt of his rifle. A large abscess formed on his thigh, but he was,forced to work for four days before reporting sick. When too ill to carry on lie was left in a shed and had no food but garbage collected by fellowprisoners. Samuel Varder,_ Peterborough, said his son joined up in 19U, when under age. He weighed over list., and was an athlete. When, ho saw him on January 2 he was so changed that if the hospital sister had not pointed him out lie should not have known him. He weighed Ist. . . Tho Coroner: Was he bitter about lus treatment?—"He had no animosity. _ The Coroner: He took it as part of his duly to suffer?—" Yes." Captain Leakey, chief medical officer, ot tho Vulham Military Hospital, said Vardor told him that in the German hospital tho abscess was opened twice without an anaesthetic. The wound never closed. It was lOin. long and Sin. wide. No German doctor saw him after the v.ouml was opened. Tho Coroner: What sort of surgery would vou call that:-'—"Very bad. Would you call it barbarous?- Yes, and very dangerous. There would have been nothing serious in the injury if ho had been properly treated." A verdict was returned that death was dm to septic poisoning caused by the blow and by the gross neglect of the Ucrman authorities.