“DEATH AT THE HOSPITAL.
WHILE UNDERGOING OPERATION
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King St Pukekohe March 1913 showing W. Roulston's building on left,
Post Office and Bank of NZ on right.
Beattie, William, 1864-1931, photographer
PH-NEG-B191 Auckland War Memorial Museum
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The senior resident medical officer of the hospital has reported to
the Coroner a resident of Pukekohe, Owen Lynch, aged 63 years, died at the institution yesterday while undergoing an operation for a throat complaint. Deceased walked into the hospital on Thursday evening with a letter from the doctor at Pukekohe, giving particulars of his complaint. Lynch, had been employed an a stable hand by Mr. W. Roulston, storekeeper, of Pukekohe. An inquest will be held by the Coroners at 9.30 o'clock this morning.”
Auckland Star, 29/6/1912
“DEATH AFTER OPERATION.
INQUEST AT HOSPITAL.
An inquest was held this morning at the Coroner's Court, before Mr. T. Gresham and a jury of six, to inquire into the cause of the death of Owen Lynch, a married man, 63 years of age. Dr. C. E. Maguire, senior resident physician at the Auckland Hospital, deposed that Owen Lynch was admitted on the 27th instant from Pukekohe on a letter from Dr. Bronte. The deceased had been employed in Mr. Roulston's stables. The man was suffering from acute laryngitis and complained of a sore throat. Swallowing was very difficult, and his speech was getting gradually worse. His breathing was somewhat distressed, and his temperature was 100, pulse 110. The man said he had suffered from asthma for about 20 years. He stated he had suffered from a sore throat for three days. The man came to the hospital unaccompanied, and presented Dr. Bronte's letter. On the 28th of June he was transferred to the ward for throat affections. The man was in a very bad condition when admitted. He could swallow neither fluids nor solids while in the hospital. It was discovered the patient was suffering from, a large abscess in the larynx. This was opened from the inside, but ten minutes afterwards the man suffered from heart failure and died. It was considered the abscess required opening to relieve the pressure. Five medical men were present at the operation, which was satisfactory, and there was no hemorrhage. The man said he felt better after the abscess had been opened, and seemed to be getting on all right for the next ten minutes. Then he suddenly collapsed. Tracheotomy was promptly performed, and inhalations of oxygen were given. Artificial respiration was also used for some time, but without success.
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| Auckland hospital c1915 Showing the main wards of Auckland Hospital, Grafton, with patients walking in the grounds and lying in beds on the verandahs. Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 35-R74 |
By the Coroner: The patient had been examined as to the state of his heart, but nothing could be learned as to his condition owing to his heavy breathing. Had an anaesthetic been administered, they would have been working in the dark. He would have died had not the abscess been operated upon. The operation was absolutely imperative. Every reasonable precaution was taken. A postmortem held this morning showed that the incision was right in the centre of the abscess. There was evidence of asthma. There was a slight increase in the pericardial fluid in the heart. The heart was weakened by some dilatation which in the patient's debilitated condition might have caused death. He would not say the condition of the man's heart rendered him liable to sudden death at any time but the combination might have caused death. The condition of the lungs threw extra work on his heart. It would seem as if the man had at some time worked in a mine. There were no indications of alcoholism. He considered the cause of death was abscess of the larynx fibrosis of the lungs, causing heart dilatation, resulting in sudden heart failure.
Dr. Allan B. McCutcheon gave corroborative evidence, and added that the man's pulse was stopped before his respiration, which proved that death was due to heart failure and not from obstruction of his breathing.
The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony, that Owen Lynch came to his death in a natural way by disease.”
Roman Catholic Division C, Row 2,
Plot 41a: Owen Lynch (63) 1912 – Labourer – unmarked
Margaret Lynch (86) 1927
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/
New Zealand Herald, 29/6/1912 “Death at the hospital. While undergoing operation
Auckland Star, 29/6/1912 “Death after operation. Inquest at hospital.
Image: PH-NEG-B191 http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/collection/object/am_library-photography-41664
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