DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81851, 26 September 1906, Page 2

DEATH UNDER CHLOROFORM.

Tho death of a six - year - old boy aimed Robert Joseph •' Thouiason, son oE Mr Thomason, of Egmont .Road, occurred while under chloroform for an operation at the New Plymouth Hospital on Tuesday Imorning. The boy had been ailing for soma months with an abcess on the knee tod whiqh, had eaten into the bone and neces'sifcated several operations, An inquest was conducted in the afternoon by tho Coroner (Mr T. Hut unison) aud the following jury:— Messrs Joseph Asber. (Foreman), Keg. inald Newton, Frank W. Watts, Thomas Kay, John Toms, and Francis Sis ley. Dr Walker, acting-Surgeon at the Hospital, stated that the lad had been first admitted to the Hospital on 12th April suffering from inflammation of the lower femur. The krieo joint'was afcetcd. During the first eight days chloroform had to be administered be'. '* fo.-e operating to relieve the discharge. There were three operations,' eaoh u ider chloroform. Ether chloride was- *-■ aj.so given on many occasions to alioviate pain caused in dressing the leg. Subsequent progress was'slow |)ut satisfactory. The child's had taken liim home on BQth' June with instructions to continue dressing the log, and to allow the dead bone $o separate. The child was jfe.adnut|;ed to the Hospital on 22nd Sept. Theye was marked improvement \i his con : dition. At this time the limb was discharging through three canals.' tit Wylie operated on Tuescaj morning for the purpose of removing the decayed bone. Witness described the manner of the administering of the anaesthetic, and went on to state that breathening haying ceased, the oper. ation was stopped und* artificial respir. atiou resorted to, but despite every endeavor respiration could not bo restored. In his opinion death was due to acute cardiac paralysis. Cross-examined, Dr Walker stated that in liis opinion there was no undue risk in using the chloroform, and that the opera! ion was absolutely nec« essary. Further ho was of opinion that the child's condition wob much i i bettor than on tho occasions of previous * 01 orations.

Dr Wylio corroborated the foregoing statements, adding that the child had been under his care for about three months.

Tho jury returned a vordict in accordance with the medical evidence stating that the death was not due to neglect on the part of those responsible for the operation,