DIES DURING OPERATION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 16, 12 October 1937, Page 12

DIES DURING OPERATION

Our Own Correspondett.)

• ' 9 » i ■■ Waipukurau Man's Collapse

(From

WAIPUKURAU, Last Night. 1 An inqueist was held at the Waipukurau Hbspital before the coroner, Mr J; A'Deano, this morning, into the death cf Mr William Frederick WattS, who died while under an operation on Saturday. The late Mr Watts was a inarricd man, 65 years of age, living with his wife at Waipukurau. He was a wellknown resident. David Craig Lloyd Clay, resident doctor at the Waipukurau Hdspital, gave evidence tkat deceased had beeii admitted to the hdspital on Friday, atid on Saturday his condition was such that an operation was found imperative. The operation was begun at Il.lS a.m. Witness administered the anaesthetic, and Dr. C. Raymond perfornied the opet» tion, assisted by Dr. W. B. Fisher, When the opefation was alniOBt through, the patient suddenly collapseil Und efforts at xestoration failed. On Saturday afternoon, in the presenuo oi witness( Dr. Norris, of Wa ipaWk, tiXacuted a post-moftem examinatiou, Witness declared death was dUS to heUrti i'ailUre, Deceased Was pootly n&'ifished, being very emaciated, Aii examihat,in?i of the heaft and lUngs wa& mUde bfefdro the operatiuiij but diselosfed no distitlct heart disease. There had bben tio ehange of colour dufing the Operation causing any sUggestion of asphixiaj The operatidn^ he sitid, had bdeli imperative to sfeve Mr Watts 's life. * ihofnas Seton Norris, registered practitioner, of Waipawa, said that, in his opinioh, death was due to the eoiidition of the kc.art aiid lungs. together with the shock. Cuthbcrt Raymond, registered practx: tioner, of Waipukurau, was then crossdxalnined by the coroner, and gave siiniiar evidence. The coroner found that William Frederick Watts died from heart failure and shock while under an anaesthetic for the purpose of a surgical operatidn to deal with a perforated nlcer, aml tliat his einaciated condition made him less likely to sufvive an Operation which was imperative. The late Mr Watt3, who lived ia Waipukurau for 31 years, leaves a widow, three daughtefs and a stepdaughter. The daughters are Mrs d. Marshall, Marlborough street, Waipukurau; Mrts H. Spencer, palmerston Nofth ; and Mrs R. Ulph, Takapau road, Waipukutaui The step-daughter is Mts W. Giddens, Racecourse road, Waipukurau.