DOCTOR’S INVENTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 898, 15 February 1930, Page 28

DOCTOR’S INVENTION

i EFFORT TO SAVE MAN l 1 SAFETY-PIN NEAR HEART • The story of how special apparatus was invented at King's College Hospital, London, to remove a safety pin embedded near a man’s heart was told at an inquest at Brixton recently on William Edward Griffin, aged 28, a labourer. It was stated that while in hospital Griffin said that he was fooling about with safety pins, and swallowed some for a lark.” Dr. Donald A. Nichol. of King’s Col- : lefe Hospital, said that two safety pins | were removed from Griffin’s stomach j at Redhill Hospital, Edgware, Middle- | sex. and the man was sent to King's ] College Hospital with the third pin ; in his windpipe. One of the hospital j surgeons, Dr. V. E. Negus, was the j leading authority in the country in such cases. Dr. Nichol continued: “We found that the pin was open, i and the point close to the heart. Dr. 1 Negus had a special tube and special ; forceps made. He hoped to engage the point of the pin in a slot at the J end of the tube, and withdraw it j through the tube by means of the I forceps. Four operations were at- j tempted, but although the pin was engaged, it was too firmly embedded in the tissue for anything to be done. I do not know of a case where a safety pin has been removed from such a position. Griffin recovered from the operation, but died some days later. The post-mortem showed that the point of the pin had pierced the heart. This was not due to the opera- : tion.” „ Mr. Cowburn, the coroner, in recording a verdict of death by misadven- j ture, said it was an example of the ! i immense amount of care. attention j j and trouble taken by a modern hos- I { pital.