DEATH OF MR. W. BRAMWELL
• VERDICT OF MISADVENTURE. Wanganui, Nov. 6. The inquest concerning the death of William Walter Bramwell, who was found dead in a dental surgery at Wanganui on October 31st, was held in Wanganui on Tuesday. Dr. Adams deposed to being called to the surgery of deceased on the evening of October 31. Witness found him lying on the floor apparently dead. He started artificial respiration and gave an injection. Mr. Boyes, the partner of deceased, had said he thought the latter had taken too much gas. Artificial respiration was not successful and witness could not get the heart to move. Witness was of opinion that deceased had been dead at least half an. hour before his arrival. The action of nitrous oxide gas was very sudden if not watched. Deceased used an analgesia mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen. Both cylinders were empty when examined. The body was examined later at; deceased’s house but it bore no evidence of external bruises or violence. Death was due to asphyxia through an overdose of nitrous oxide. ‘He knew deceased very intimately, both personally and professionally. He was about 29 years of age, very keen in his profejsion and a most enthusiastic worker. He was always experimenting with something. He was studying for his D.D.S. and was frequently endeavouring to find out the effects of various drugs and gases used professionally in anaesthetics. Deceased had often visited the local hospital for the supervision of the staff when administering anaesthetics to himself for experimental purposes. The work he was doing for the degree of D.D.S. was open only to a practitioner who wrote an original out and he got one or two whiffs of nitrous oxide, he would be helpless to turn off the gas. For this reason, witness was of opinion it was not safe for a person to be alone while experimenting in this manner. In his opinion, death was due to misadventure and this was substantiated by the fact that deceased had used the oxygen. He had frequently warned deceased in regard to these experiments but deceased had treated the matter lightly. Arthur H. Boyes stated that he went to the surgery at 8.40 p.m. on October 31. He had intended to spend the remainder of the evening at a concert with deceased according to arrangement. Deceased had apparently drawn up an easy chair to the brink of the gas aparatus, making himself quite comfortable with a cushion at the back of his head. The nasal inhaler was in position. Both cylinders had completely run out, as witness .tried them, with the idea of applying oxygen at once. The dials on the machine were set for an analgesia mixture. Deceased’s head was forward. Had it fallen back,, he would naturally have breathed in air and come to. As it happened, his head, in falling forward, had closed his mouth. When deceased was discovered there was no sign of life. Constable Phillips said he examined the surgery thoroughly and found nothing to indicate that death had been caused other than by misadventure. Deceased was in evening dress. He had been entering up his books that evening. A verdict was returned that deceased had died at his surgery on October 31, the cause of death being asphyxia through an overdose of nitrous oxide. The Coroner added that it was proper that he shorn Id make a second finding, that death was due to misadventure. He then reviewed the evidence. Had there been anv other motive than to experiment, deceased would never have used oxygen. Death was therefore clue to misadventure.
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Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3868, 8 November 1928, Page 3
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601DEATH OF MR. W. BRAMWELL Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 3868, 8 November 1928, Page 3
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