DOCTOR POTAKA DEAD

Evening Star, Issue 22460, 3 October 1936, Page 21

DOCTOR POTAKA DEAD

SUCCUMBS TO MORPHINE POISONING EYE INJURY SUFFERED WITH BYRD EXPEDITION NO PROPER SLEEP FOR YEARS [Per United Press Association - .] NELSON, October 3. Dr Louis Hauiti Potaka, who was brought homo from Takaka and admitted to Nelson Hospital late yesterday afternoon in comatose, unconscious condition, died a few hours later from morphine poisoning. En route from Takaka he wrote a note stating that he had been suffering from severe eye injury sustained in the Antarctic, and had not had proper sleep since January, Jf).‘Vs. ‘‘ Heath," he said, “ will ho a relied.” Hr Potaka. who was 3o years of ago, had boon practising at Takaka for some years. He was formerly assistant at Nelson Hospital and the board's medical officer at Murchison. He joined the Byrd Antarctic expedition as medical officer in response to an appeal for relieving medical assistance. RELIEVING SICK DOCTOR WHY DOCTOR POTAKA WENT SOUTH Diverted from her course to the Antarctic to carry out an' important mission, the Royal reserach ship Discovery JT,, arrived at Dunedin on February 14, 1934, to pick up Dr Potaka,

who had been engaged at short notice to serve with the Byrd expedition for a year. His transport to the Antarctic was arranged by Captain A. L. Nelson, commander of the ship, the officer obtaining special permission from London to cal' at Dunedin and embark Dr Potaka, At a prearranged position near Little America, the Discovery 11. met the Boar of Oakland, and llic doctor and supplies were transferred to Admiral Byrd’s ship for transportation to the ice barrier. Dr Shirey, medical officer to the expedition, had been taken seriously ill and was transported to the Jacob Ruppert, which brought him back to Port Chalmers on February 18 Dr Shirey expressed considerable disappointment on his return that he had been unable to remain with the main party at Little America during the winter months. He said that in view of his continued indisposition that had been impossible,'and he had been forced to leave the ice barrier at once. Mr .1. Duncan, manager of Messrs H. L. Tapley Ltd., who wore the Now Zealand agents for the expedition, said this afternoon that Dr Potaka had complained of eye trouble after the expedition’s return to Dunedin. The deceased doctor received his education at the Wanganui Collegiate School, and obtained bis medical degrees at Otago University. SURGERY IN ANTARCTIC DOCTOR POTAKA OPERATES UNDER DIFFICULTIES Byrd’s published story of Antarctica gives the following account of an emergency operation by Dr I’otaka: But the night watches of March 11 sau a situation evolve that drove everything else into the background. 1 had repaired to my shack after supper. Sterrett rapped on the door. When he came in his face was grave. Peltcr, ho said was ill, quite ill. Ho had boon abed for several days, hut hadn’t wanted to stir up a fuss just over a “ bellyache.” “ Dr Potaka should ■ examine him.” Sterrett said. “ I think it's appendicitis.” It was, and Dr Potaka resolved to operate at once. Pclter, very pale and very weak, was boosted up the shaft of the old mess ball; with Sterrett supporting him ho walked to the radio shack, which was cleaner and more comfortable than the other buildings. Since his arrival at Little America a fortnight before, Dr Potaka had had no time to unpack his instruments. Much of his medical gear was buried under sft of drift. His surjeal instruments, still unboxed, lay under a small mountain of things in the vestibule Among these things the doctor was pawing, when suddenly his pressure lamp went out. As he started to lilt it from a gasoline drum the stream ol gasoline suddenly ignited in his face, and. startled, he dropped the lamp. In a moment the narrow vestibule was cbrkc'l with s--oke. and a pool of burning oil e Idl' d around the boxes, set-

ting them on fire—the crate of surgical 'w niments among them. Fire and appendectomy are just about the most unhealthy things that can happen in the Antarctic, but when they occur simultaneously and when (ire threatens to destroy the only tools you have to operate on a poor devil waiting to go on the table, you have a situation needing no description. Thanks to the spontaneous action of the men in the administration building, the skylights were kicked in from above, and fire oxtinpmishors passed to the men below. Von dor Wall, a grotesque figure in flapping balbriggans and gas mask, dropped down the hatch to save the surgical instruments, the charred box of which was hoisted to the surface. The blaze was quickly extinguished. Even then Dr Potaka was nearly at liis wit’s end. The sterile sutures were missing. He hurriedly broke open innumerable boxes which the brought in from his smoking each?- before he found them. A table? What shall wo do for an operating table? Somebody remembered a table which Tinglof was building in tbe science building; it had no t op, but stretchers could he laid across. Where are the stretchers? Ret Corey; he's (he only rny who knows where anything is. Corey knew: in the medical cache pnder (ift of snow. Oniekly they were excavated and thawed out over the galley stove. Lights! What are yon going to do for lights? hi his quiet way Dyer got a thousand-watt lamp and ran a line across the ceiling over the operating table. But suppose the generators conk in the middle of the operation! How about light then? Bailey said lie would stand by in the power shack, with three generators running simultaneously, roadv to switch the instant one spluttered. How are you going to keep the room warm during the operation? Yon can’t have an open coal fire with all tliis ether. It’s 20 below. This room’s going to eool off fast the moment yon douse the fire! Plug the cracks, then; seal the ventilators; get a good hot fire burning until the room temperature is up around 80; then rake the ashes and carry them out. At last matters were in hand, and

at live minutes past midnight the anaesthetic was administered. 1 shall not quickly forget the scene—the narrow room with its rude bunks, the drifted skylights overhead, and the first pale aurora dimly seen through them, and Potaka, Sterrett, and Perkins crisp in sterile white caps, gloves, and gowns. The small room was terribly crowded; Dr Potaka was backed against the stove, and once, when he turned swiftly, he just escaped falling over it. The operation seemed to last forever; in the end Potaka had to do most of the important details that trained assistants usually perform for surgeons. Before it wa« over wo wore all exhausted and shivering, too, because the temperature in the shack had steadily dropped. Then the lire was started, and Peitor was gently transferred to the hunk, still unconscious. The next day Pelter was very weak, but Potaka was pleased hy the way lie pulled through it.