Death While Under Chloroform

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 220, 17 September 1887, Page 3

Death While Under Chloroform

At Gonibmn, on Au«iiht 25, a magisterial inquiry \v.h held on the remain* of John David Rhodes, a<;ccl 35, an iron trimmer, ■who died under ( lioloform at the hospital whilst an opeiation was being perfoimed on his light thumb. It appear that Rhode-* fell o\er a stone, dislocating his thumb, and was admitted to the hospital. He objected to a leduction ot the dislocation, owing to the ]>am it rau-ed, when Di->. Ray and M Killo\> decided, a^ ho \\as a btionrj healthy man, to })itt' him under ohloiofoim. Thefii-t do^-e not having tiic desiied effect, a second was admhmtetid, and shortly aiterwauk the [)atient*muscles contiaeted. The medical gentlemen at the mquiiy .^tated that they made every efiuit to biinjr the patient to conbciousncij?, but failed aftei two houis, when they were batched life was extinct. [Alter heavinc the e\idenee. the jiolice mafjfi.strate found thatthedreascd met a\ ith his death b} the inhalaticn of ehloioform duly and ciiefully admim^teied by two le^all>-(iualiiied medical piactitioners for the ])Uipose ot peifoiming a suigical opeiation.