AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 12 September 1918, Page 3

AUCKLAND HAPPENINGS.

IFbom Our Own Correspondent!

Auckland, Sept. 9

THE DEAD RESTORED

TO LIFE!

The doctors practising in Auckland, as well as a good many people who are not doctors, are keenly interested in the case brought under public, notice by Mr Carrick Robertson, of this city. In this case a seafaring man became an inmate of the local hospital. He was suffering from an abscess on the thumb. He was placed under chloroform, or some other anasthetic, and the abscess was lanced. Whilst this was going on it was observed that the patient's heart had stopped beating. Artificial respiration was tried, and Mr Robertson, fortunately, as it happened, in the hospital at the moment, was sent for. He came at once. The patient appeared, by this time, to have passed out. Mr Robertson made the necessary incision, introduced his hand, and grasped the heart firmly. There was no muscular movement in the heart, so the surgeon squeezed it between his hand and the ribs several times. It was soon " going " again. Then the wound was sewn up and the patient put to bed, Two days later he had made a complete recovery. But he remembered nothing that had occurred —not even going to the hospital. The remarkable part of the story is that, according to Mr Robertson, this man was certainly dead for three minutes probably five i He was restored to life as the result of "heartmassage." Had it not been for that the strong probability, in fact the all but certainty, is that his life would have been lost. This, it seems, is not the only case of the kind which Mr Robertson has had. It is only one of several. The distinguished surgeon is careful to insist that recourse to heart-massage should only be had after failure to restore animation with the usual restoratives. But what possibilities the new method opens up! In the past deaths under chloroform have been alarmingly frequent. They should certainly be less common in future.

A SAD CASE

The Military Service Boards have to deal with some rather sad cases from time to time. Take that of the widow, nearly 70 years of age, who appealed for the exemption of her son to the Board at Auckland a day or two ago. It appeared that of the five sons who contributed to this poor woman's support and that of their two invalid sisters, four had gone to the Front. Two had been killed in France, a third was now a prisoner in Germany, and a fourth, invalided home, was unable to do a hand's turn. There were two sisters, both invalids, and the unhappy mother pleaded that she found it very difficult to keep the home going now that four of her sons were no longer aiding her. It further transpired that the son —the youngest—the subject of the appeal, is at present being detained as a deserter. The mother said he had wanted to enlist, but she needed his help and had refused to let him go. The Board said the family had "a very fine military record," and had not this young man been a deserter the Board would have recommended him exemption from military service. Perhaps the Board is justified in punishing this youth for his fault. But it is a little hard that the punishment should fall also on the poor old mother and the two helpless invalided sisters. What do you think V

MOVING PICTURES FOR

CHILDREN

The first moving picture entertainment especially for children, arranged by the City Schools Committee at one of the Auckland picture theatres, took place one afternoon last week, when upwards of 800 children were present. The pictures screened on this occasion were largely of an educational nature, and Auckland Education Board is to be asked to permit future entertainments of the kind to be held during school hours. Doubtless the Board will accede to this request. Given the right pictures, with a few explanatory remarks to accompany each from someone qualified for the task, and a course of pictures may teach a child more in a month or two than it would acquire in the ordinary way in a year. It is also high time that children were excluded from theatres where the bill presented comprises "problem .plays," and the exploits of thieves and shady characters of both sexes, The example set b,y an

Auckland City School Committee is worthy of imitation everywhere.

A VEGETARIAN SOCIETY

FOR AUCKLAND

The vegetarians of Auckland, or some of them, have decided to establish "a Vegetarian Society of New Zealand,", and the first President, I see, is'Tfo %» Dr J: $. Reekie, whiJe Dr. Florence Keller has been appointed a member of the Council of the Society, and among the hon. vice-Presidents are Chief Justice, Sir Robert Ftout, and the Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister Education. I presume that the Society will establish a restaurant of its own. This reminds of an experience of | mine in London. During my last trip Home I was passing along High Holburn one day about lunch time, and perceiving the legend: "Vegetarian Cafe" in letters three feet high running across a large building on the opposite side of the road, I crossed over, and entered the place. It proved to be a big jroom on the top floor. Altough rather bare and barrack-like of aspect the apaitment (about 150 ft in length) was clean and inviting. Rows of small tables, each covered with a snowy cloth, were there, and a number of waitresses, looking very neat and trim in their black dresses and white aprons, ministered to the wants of the guests. Directly I was seated one of these girls placed a small bowl of porridge and milk before me. This was in lieu of soup. Then I was handed a menu, and being hungry, I called for a " vegetable steak " —which sounded quite substantial. It proved to be a portion of a vegetable marrow, stuffed, and stuck with cloves. Over it was poured a thick brown vegetable grav>. Boiled rice and jam followed. I believe I paid a shilling—and left feeling rather hungrier than when I sat down. However, a visit to a neighbouring eating-house, and a cut off the joint, with sweets and cheese to follow, and a pint of bitter ale, soon put me to rights. That we habitually eat far more meat in New Zealand than is good for us I am prepared to allow. But between the extremes of meat three times a day and a purely vegetable diet there is a great gulf fixed. The thing to do is to discover the, happy medium. I find its in meat once a day.

HUNS AT LARGE.

The little borough of Devonport, on the other side of Auckland Harbour, has just passed a resolution (that is its councillors have done so) urging the Government to move in the matter of the internment of the enemy aliens within the Dominion, It would be well if Auckland CityCouncil would follow so good an example, and, indeed, for, that matter, every city and town in New Zealand ought to follow it. I am told that a a certain public official occupying a very responsible position in this city is a German, and that the manager of a large commercial concern is also a Hun. Of course, as you are doubtless aware, the New Zealand Civil Service finds fat billets for a number of Huns, and probably if a list could be prepared of all the Germans filling public and private positions of some importance in this country at the present time its length would astonish you. As to the question of internment I think the probability of Government intervention in this matter is a remote one. To some extent, at least, the matter is in the hands of the people themselves.

KNITTING SOCKS FOR SOLDIERS,

It would be interesting to know how many thousands of pairs of socks have been knitted by the ladies of New Zealand for soldiers at the front since the war started, But now the price of knittingwool has become so high that many ladies who are anxious to *' do their bit" for our boys in the firing-line by providing them with comfortable socks are deterred by the cost. It has been asserted recently in Auckland that the wool necessary to make a single pair of socks now costs ss, Who makes the profit ? It is certainly not the farmers who grow the wool, because they receive, on an average, Is 2%d per lb for wool which retails, in manufactured skeins, at from 9s 6d to 25s per lb. I am pleased to learn ,that the Board of Trade is to be asked to investigate. The Board will also look into the price demanded for leather. Hides have not advanced more than 2d per lb on prewar rates, but the prices of men's boots have gone up from 10s to 20s per pair. Some people, it is to be feared, will be sorry when the war is over. It is making money for them.