INQUEST.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 607, 30 May 1876, Page 3

INQUEST.

| An inquest was held at the Hospital yes- ! terday, before J. W. 8. Coward, Esq, coroner, on the body of Bobert Bell Thompson, who died under chloroform, administered during an operation on Sunday last. Mr Reuben Binstead was chosen foreman of the jury, and the body having been duly viewed, the following evidence was given : John Hill, residing at Avon Cottage, Oxford Terrace, deposed that the deceased waa at his house on the evening preceding his rfeath. On Sunday morning Drs Nedwill aud Campbell attended to perform the operation, and witness was present. Dr Campbell administered the chloroform by sprinkling it on a towel. The deceased inhaled the chloroform for eight or ten minutes. Dr Nedwill at this time was getting the instruments ready. Witness was holding the wrist of deceased at the time, who plunged about a good deal and got the towel off bis face. Dr Campbell sprinkled some more chloroform on the towel, and again applied it to his face. About two or three minutes after this Dr Nedwill said, "I am afraid he's gone or going." The doctors tried all they could to restore life, but it was no good. Dr Powell, who was also sent for, did the same, but without success. The operation had not been commenced. Dr Nedwill sent witness for Dr Powell when it was found that the man was dead; Dr Nedwill expressing a wish that he should be sent for.

By the foreman—So far as I remember Dr Nedwill expressed his opinion that the man was dead before be sent witness for Dr Powell. The man expressed a wish at first to undergo chloroform. When the deceased threw off the cloth he made some remark, such as "Oh, doctor." The man was not conscious at the time of the application of chloroform the second time. When witness spoke of the chloroform being applied for eight or ten minutes, he meant during the whole time of application, including the aecond application. • Llewellyn Powell deposed that he was a legally qualified medical practitioner. He was called on Sunday to see deceased between 10.30 and 11 a.m. He found Dra Campbell and Nedwill engaged in performing artificial respiration. Witness assisted them until it was found useless, as the man was quite dead and irrecoverable. Winess had since made a post mortem examination. The body was that of a well made man, spare but muscular; post mortem rigidity was well marked. The brain was perfectly healthy; and on examining the chest, found the lungs healthy ; the heart was filled with fluid blood and extremely flaccid, the walls of the right auricle were remarkably thin; the muscular substance throughout soft. The bowels were healthy, and all the other organs of the body except the bladder : and urethra, which were thickened and strictured. The opinion of witness was that the thinness of the heart predisposed to death under chloroform. By the Foreman—An affection of the heart such as described could not be distinguished in life; it was only to be so after death. In affections of the valves of the heart it could be distinguished during life, but not where it was merely thinness of the heart. Courtney Nedwill deposed that he was a legally qualified medical practitioner. The deceased was under his care some twelve months before in the Hospital for stricture of the urethra. At that time chloroform was administered by one of the pbysicianß, Dr Campbell, for the purpase of undergoing an operation. He went under chloroform for some time, but there were no alarming symptoms. The deceased had been a private patient of witness's for some time, and on Saturday came into town for the purpose of having the urethra carefully examined while under chloroform. It was at his own request that he was placed under chloroform, as it was impossible to examine properly without going under chloroform. Dr Campbell met witness at Avon Cottage, where deceased was lodging, on Sunday, about 10 30. Dr Campbell had just began the administration of chloroform, and while witness was engaged in taking some instruments out of the box the attention of witness was drawn to the man by Dr Campbell. Deceased was then looking very discolored about the face, and showing alarming symptoms. The administration of chloroform was at once stopped, and for about half an hour they had recourse to all the means for recovering the man, but without success. Very soon after they discovered the alarming symptoms, a messenger was sent for Dr Powell, who came at once, and they all eudeavored to resuscitate deceased without avail.

By the foreman—Witness did not consider the operation more critical than in the former proposed one. The quantity of chloroform given actually was very small. The man was examined by the Hospital physicians aa to his fitness to receive chloroform. Besides this, the deceased had been under the care of witness, so that he knew nothing had occurred between this time to render him unfit to receive chloroform. The second application of chloroform was not over the man's face. The quantity of chloroform given to the man was so small that it would be given to a child.

The jury consulted some time, and ultimately a juryman desired that Dr Ned will should be recalled, to ask him whether any change had taken place in the heart of the deceased to affect him fatally with a small dose, when a large dose previously did not affect him.

Dr Ned will said that the deceased was carefully sounded when in the Hospital for chloroform, and there was no change in him while under his care. If the man were one who had not been under his care he would have examined him. Had he been examined by the stethoscope it would not have revealed the state of his heart. It was one of those fatal cases which occurred and for which no reason could be assigned by the medical men. Even had he known that the deceased was suffering from heart disease he should have given him chloroform, as it was perfectly impossible to do anything for him unless he was under its influence. The jury returned a verdict of " Accidental Death,' Mr Donaldson expressing his opinion 'that he was not quite satisfied with the way in which the chloroform had been administered. Mr B. Hall also thought that there I should be an examination of the patient prei vious to the administration.