WORKED TO DEATH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1005, 15 June 1911, Page 4

WORKED TO DEATH.

An inquest was held on April aoih at Wroxall, Isle of Wight, on Sergeant Stokes, of the Royal Army Medical Corps, dispenser at Parkhurst Barracks, who was found dead in a cave on the downs near Wroxall on the previous Saturday evening.

The jury returned a verdict that the sergeant committed suicide “by poisoning himself with prussic acid while in an unsound state of mind produced by illhealth and prolonged hours of duty.” The jury suggested that representations should be made to the War Office with a view to an inquiry being instituted as to the conditions ot employment of the medical staff at Parkhurst.

In a diary found upon the body the sergeant had written: “ My poor old brain is going fast. It has tried to do its best, but the inexorable hand of late is against ‘ Stokey.’ What we ask for is rest and again rest. For thirteen and a half years we have served to the best of our ability, but we can't be all Haldanes.” On another document he made charges of unfair treatment against two non-commissioned officers of the staff, but the jury added a rider freeing them from all blame.

This is the second suicide among the medical staff at Parkhurst within twelve mouths traceable to overwork, and the coroner pointed out to Lieutenant-Colonel Donegan, commanding the medical staff there, that the history of the staff seemed to be a very unfortunate one. The colonel said he had reported officially that he was understaffed, and he bad reason to believe that the error would be corrected. He gave the sergeant all the assistance he could.

Asked by the coroner if the man was overworked, the colonel replied that be would like the question recorded, but he preferred not to answer it. He also said that the widow of the sergeant had told him that her husband worked until 11.30 at night, starting early m the morning.

Two non-commissioned officers of the medical staff attended as witnesses, and looked so thin and ill that the coroner commented upon their unhealthy appearance. They admitted under examination that they were in a chronic state of overwork at Parkhurst, working from seven in the morning till eleven at night seven days a week, and were then unable to cope with the work.