DIED UNDER OPERATION

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 274, 20 December 1929, Page 5

DIED UNDER OPERATION

WHILE HAVING TEETH EXTRACTED. INQUEST ,0N HAVELOCK NORTH ' RESIDENT. Tlie inquest was completed heJ'ore VH' A. VI. Viowlem, District Coroner, this morning, into the circumstances ssiirrounding tlie death of Sarab Jane Alderman, widow, of Havelock North. who died at tlie Napier Hospital after having had her teeth extraeted under an anaestlietic. Sergeant Hodgson conducted tlie police iuqtiiry. Evidence was given by Dr. W. _P. Purvis, house surgeon at the Napier Hospital, that lie examined the deceased prior to the operation on December 10, aud found tlie condition oi tlie beart and lungs iufficiently good to warraut an anaestlietic being given. Witness himself gave tlie anaestlietic, using jiure ether — this in vew of the f'act that the deceased was sufferng from pvorrhea. The anaestlietic was administered in tlie usual way and tlie teeth of deceased extraeted by tlie dentist. iAt the completion of tlie operation witness noticed that her hreathing was faint and lier pulse spasmodic and wliile he was engaged m cleaning out the mouth tlie lieart heats ceased altogetlier. Wituess applied artificial respiration for some time without effeet and an injection _ was similai'ly unsuccessful. .lii tlie opinion of witness death was due to sudden heart failure caused by .tlie comhmed sliock of the extraction of the teeth and the anaestlietic. Dr. R: S. R. Francis stated tliat he examined the deceased pnor to her admission into hospital to liave her teeth renioved. Slie had tlie most extreme degree of pyorrliea that ue had ever seeii. He considered tliat death was caused by senility, plus the effect oi the pvorrhea, nlus the strain of , an operation witli a general anaestlietic. Basil Peter Calvin. dental surgeon at the Napier Hospital, stated that prior to tlie operation lie examined the deceased and found her to be sunering from the last stages of pyorrbea. He oorroborated Dr. Purvis' version as to tlie operation, which was fully completed with death occurred. At this suggestion the deceased had heen admitted to hospital three days hefore tlie operation for pre-operative treatment. Tn returning a verdict iu, accordance witli ihe medical evidence the coroner expressed himself as' fully satfsfied tbat nothing had been done in this case which sliould uot have been done, and everi tliing possible had heen done.to assist towards the success of the operation.