CORONER’S INQUEST.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5316, 10 April 1878, Page 2

CORONER’S INQUEST.

The adjourned inquiry regarding the death of John Stephenson, who died on the 2nd instant from the effects of an accident, was resumed at the Hospital yesterday, before Mr. J. O. Crawford. William Arthur Bradford deposed : I am a duly qualified medical practitioner. I niade a post mortem examination of deceased with Dr. Harding on the 4th instant, and found, externally, the only mark of violence was a scalp wound. It was an irregular shaped contused wound, about four inches long, situated near the middle line at the back - part of . the head. The wound was stitched together with silk ligatures. It divided all the tissues of the scalp down to the bone. On removing the scalp we found a fracture of the bone, commencing about an' inch above the suture formed by the parietal and occipetal bones. It extended along the base of the skull to within a quarter of an inch of the foranem magnum. On removing the brain, which was healthy in structure but greatly congested, we found a large clot, which in a fluid state would have measured. about an ounce and a-half, lying between the membrances and the skull. The fracture throughout consisted of a single fissure, there being no loofee or depressed portions either on the outer or inner plates of the skull. The cause of death was extravasation of blood at the base of the brain and fracture at the base of the skull.

A Juryman : Do you think anything cculd have been done in the Hospital to save his life ? Dr. Bradford : No treatment at all could have saved his life. The injury was of such a nature that it would have been impossible for surgical aid to have saved him. Robert Harding, who had assisted in the post mortem examination, corroborated the evidence of Dr. Bradford. Edward Wheeler deposed : I am master of the Hawea, and deceased was chief officer. The boat left the wharf on Monday the Ist April about half-past five, and when crossing Evans Bay I told Mr. Stephenson to set the sails. He was giving orders to set the upper-topsail by means of the steam winch, and holding on to the winch. The yard was about half-way up the mast, when it fell, and I saw Mr. Stephens ui knocked on to the bridge. It was evident that the block had strode him on the head, and he fell on to the bridge. I rushed and got hold of him, and two men carried him aft. I saw the blow had been very severe, ami brought the ship back to the wharf. I sent for Dr. Diver, who arrived soon after, and attended deceased. Cross-examined : I believe the breaking of the chain was due to a foul up aloft. It has been in use for three years. There was no apparent defect in the chain, though the link produced, which was the one that broke, appeared defective inside. Robert Watt, second officer of the Hawea, said he knew nothing of the accident until after it had happened. He received orders to take the ship back to the wharf, and did so accordingly. He accounted 1 for the accident through a bad weld in the link. It was usual to use the steam winch in hoisting the topsails.

Dr. Diver, being re-called, was examined by the jury as to whether he concurred in Dr. Bradford’s statement that it would have been impossible to save the life of deceased. He said: Dr. Bradford is a gaod surgeon in my opinion, and I have no reason to think otherwise. It would entirely depend upon what action had been taken. We can only depend upon the possibility or impossibility of recovery by the result. If the surgeon thought there was an effusion of blood at one place, he would havo been able to relieve it by trephining, that is, to take out a piece of sound bone so as to let out the blood. By this process I have seen

marvellous results. It is impossible for me to say now what might have been dene, as I waß not at the post mortem. In fractures of the skull we trephine to look for extravasation of the blood. I have known many lives saved by trephining in cases of fracture of the skull. I do not refer to this case. It would have been wrong for me to go to the Hospital to attend to this case, because it is against the rules, and would have been a slight to Dr. Johnston. If Mr. Mouteith had sent for me it would have been different. Directly a patient goes into the Hospital the housesurgeon attends him, and previous outside treatment is ignored by him.

The Coroner said there could be little doubt about the cause of death, and the only tiling for them to consider was whether any blame attached to anyone. The jury retired to consider their verdict, and remained in consultation for a time, an opinion being expressed by some that a rider should be attached expressing di-approval at the conduct of Mr. Monteith, aud cf Dr. Diver for not going to the .Hospital to attend deceased ; but as there was no unanimity among them on these points, they returned a simple verdict of accidental death.