REMARKABLE DISCOURTESY.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 49, 28 June 1915, Page 7

REMARKABLE DISCOURTESY.

A DOCTOR'S DUTY. Peb Pbess Association. Rotorua, June 27. An inquest on Alfred Kereru Edwards, who died from injuries Caused by a log falling on him in the Mamaku bush, was held to-day before Mr |W. E. Bennett. J.P., Acting Coroner, and a jury. The evidence shewedthat the occurrence was a pure accident. Dr. Findlay, house surgeon at the Rotorua hospital, stated the cise was hopeless from the fir.st. In reply to a question from the jury, ho said lie called in Dr. Bertram for consultation, not Dr. Scott Watson, who at tench"! the deceased before admission. He know Dr. Scott Watson had been in attendance on the man, hut witness did not know aiiv reason why ho should have been called in. \b\ the hospital they were not compelled to call in anyone. It would have been necessary to call another doctor if they had decided to operate. Ho had no intention of showing discourtesy to Dr Scott Watson. He could call in whom ho liked, and he followed the usual custom of calling in ]>t. Bertram, It rested with the doctor in charge of the hospntal as to whom J he called in. It would not have as- I si.sted the patient had he called m the I doctor who first attended him. The jury returned a verdict of ae< i- ( dental death, no blame being attachable to anyone, and added the following rider:—-The jury is of opinion that Dr. Findlay showed remarkable discourtesy to Dr. Scott Watson, .vho first attended the case, by calling in another doctor for consultation, and considers it is not in the best interests of suffering humanity that such discourtesy should be tolerated, and that it be brought under the n<!ue of the Minister in Charge of Government Hospitals.