ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES
YOUNG MANS DEATH
The death occurred at the Gore Hospital on Wednesday of Mr Joseph Robert Baird, aged 20, the elder son of Mrs Alice Baird and the late Mr Robert K. Baird, of Wendon. It is understood that Mr Baird had been undergoing medical treatment at Invercargill for military service. -Otago Daily Times, 5/12/1941.
DEATH OF YOUNG MAN
Tetanus After Vein Treatment
Evidence At Inquest
INVERCARGILL, Jan. 22.
A verdict that Joseph Robert Baird, a farm labourer, of Wendon, died in the Gore Hospital on December 3, 1941, from tetanus, which developed after he had been treated for varicose veins, was returned by the district coroner (Mr A. T. Newman) at an inquest into Baird’s death held at Gore.
Alice Beulah Baird said that her son, Joseph Robert Baird, was 20 and that he had worked on her farm at Wendon. He had never complained of ill-health and had never had a serious illness previously. Some time ago he had been called in a Territorial ballot and after being medically exrmined at Gore, on military instructions he went to Invercargill for treatment for varicose veins. The following week he received further treatment. On his return home the witness noticed that a sore had formed where the operation had been performed. On the third week after the operation her son went back for further treatment, but they would not touch him, and gave him ointment and bandages, telling him to apply the ointment each day. On November 26 he complained of severe pains in the leg that had been operated on and the witness was advised by a doctor to treat the leg with hot salt packs. On November 27 he was admitted to the Gore Hospital.
Objected to Treatment To the coroner the witness said that she had objected to her son undergoing treatment as he was under 21. She had been informed that the boy had taken the oath and was therefore under military orders. The witness had been told by Dr. Hastie at Gore that it was usual to give an injection in the case of men coming off farms as a safeguard, but that this had not been done in the case of her son. No reason was given. The doctor had said that the hospital had very little anti-tetanic serum, but that they had given the witness’s son what they had. On December 1 the witness had been told that her son had complained to the nurse about feeling stiff about the chest. The witness had been told the next day by Drs. J. E. Rogers and J. M. Watters that her son was very ill. They asked her if there was anyone she would like to consult and she had agreed to see Dr. Howells. The latter had told her the following day that her son was suffering from a severe form of tetanus.
To Staff Sergeant-Major R. G. Grieve, who represented the Army Department, the witness said that after the second lot of treatment her son had been able to go about his ordinary work.
Inflamed Tissues Dr. J. M. Watters, of Gore, said that Baird had been admitted to the Gore Hospital suffering from inflammation of the tissues surrounding a vein in the left leg, below the knee, which had been treated by injection some three or four weeks previously. He made good progress until early on December 1 when symptoms of tetanus came on. This disease steadily increased in severity in spite of treatment and he died on December 3. The cause of death in the opinion of the witness was tetanus.
To Mr S. D. MacDonald, who appeared for Mrs Baird, the witness said that on the Monday morning Dr. Hastie reported to him that Baird’s jaw was stiff. This symptom was suspicious of tetanus and the witness immediately arranged for an adequate supply of tetanus serum to be given. The quantity given that morning was 10,000 units in the muscle. In the afternoon another injection of 200,000 units was given. The next day a further 60,000 units were injected. The witness said he considered there was no undue delay in giving the injection of antitetanic serum. The anti-tetanic injection was given in cases where tetanus might be expected to develop. It was not given in this case because there was no reason to suspect the development of tenanus. He had heard of no cases of tetanus following the hypodermic injections of quinine salts. The witness maintained that everything possible had been done and that there was no unnecessary delay. The hospital carried only sufficient antl-tetanic serum to use for prevention. Large quantities were available from Invercargill.
Varicose Veins Treated Dr. F. J. Wilson, a house surgeon at the Southland Hospital, Invercargill said that on November 6 he attended Baird at the out-patient department for the treatment of varicose veins. He injected two cubic centimetres of quinine and urethane into the varicose vein in the left leg and a similar quantity into the vein in the right leg. On November 13 he again attended Baird when he found a small slough was present over the site of injection of the varicose vein. This area was treated with scarlet red ointment. The patient was not discharged. He did not report back for further treatment.
To the coroner the witness said that this was the usual treatment given for varicose veins. He had given some hundreds of similar injections. In this case a slough formed. This occasionally occurred and it was treated with scarlet red ointment, which in practically all cases healed the condition.
To Mr MacDonald the witness said that practically all the injections were quinine urethane.
To Staff Sergeant-Major Grieve the witness said that the case was no different from a number of other cases treated at the hospital.
To Mr MacDonald the witness said that there had been no other serious cases in the Invercargill district to his knowledge. -Timaru Herald, 23/1/1942.
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