DOMINION NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 August 1928, Page 1

DOMINION NEWS.

' — l - S «H . (By Telegraph—P°r "Press Association.) CHILD’S SKEI.FH'OX FOUXI). CHRISTCHURCH'.. July 81. A party of hoys, roaming about the sand hills approximately two miles north of North Reach to-day, found the skeleton of a child. Its identity has not yet been determined, but on January 22 a iittlc girl, Irma Timms, aged eight years, disappeared from her home in Brighton, and was never again seen, although a search was carried out for days over a wide area. SEIZURE OF OPIUM. WELLINGTOX, July 31;

Customs officials on duty at the Queen’s Wharf to-ni"ht, seized about i‘3oo worth of opium, discovered by them being brought ashore from the Sydney steamer Mamma, by a steward and a taxi driver. It appears that; at about G p.m.. the Customs officials observed the steward and the taxi I driver coming ashore from the Marninii with their pockets bulging. This aroused the suspicions of the officials, who stopped the two men and searched them, finding several tins of opium. The opium was seized and the men were given in charge of the wharf police. They will appear before the Mag •

istrnte's Court to-morrow morning. HOSPITAL OPKItATION. WKLLIINGrTON, July 31. David Cost lev, a Harbour Board employee, was sued by the Wellington Hospital Board for £53 3s hospital foes, to-day. On the defendant’s behalf, Mr Leicester submitted that the amount should be reduced as it was alleged there had been misadventure during an operation for appendicitis. Defendant, in the ordinary courser-said counsel, should have been in the hospital only about three weeks, but lie remained there for 117 days, being virtually out of work for nine months. Counsel admitted that from a legal point of view, the defence should establish negligence on the part of someone on the .staff, but there appeared to have been misadventure that fell short of actual negligence, a bowel having been punctured during the operation, it was alleged, setting up faecal fistula.

Doctor Wilson, former Superintendent of the Hospital, who himself performed the operation, said the patient was suffering from acute appendicitis and threatening peritonitis, and the operation was performed primarily to save his life. There was absolutely no misadventure. Had a bowel been punctured, defendant would probably have been dead in a few days, ft was quite a frequent sequel to acute appendicitis operations for faecal fistula to crop up.

The Magistrate, Mr Page, gave judgment for the Board. The question of hardship was a matter for the Board to deal with.