Operation was essential – Inquest evidence on Conisbrough man

July 1955

South Yorkshire Times, July 2nd 1955

Operation was Essential
Inquest Evidence on Conisbrough Man

The Doncaster District Deputy Coroner (Mr. C. R. Marshall), on Monday recorded a verdict of “misadventure” on a 72 year old Conisbrough man who died shortly after an operation in Mexborough Montagu hospital on May 27th. The man was Arthur Harrison, of 28 Crook Hill Road, a retired garage proprietor.

At the adjourned inquest, Mrs. Dorothy Phillis Beaumont, of Wetherby Road, Leeds, said her father was admitted to hospital on May 26th for an operation. He died before coming out of the operation, but prior to going in hospital he was working in his garden, and he was quite happy about the operation.

Doctor. John Henry Hegarty, registrar anaesthetist at Rotherham Doncaster Gate Hospital, said on May 27th the day Harrison was operated on, he saw and gave him premeditation in the ward. He also examined Harrison, who looked fairly fit for a man of 72. He could not find anything wrong with him. He took his blood pressure which was satisfactory, and he examined his chest and his heart was satisfactory as fair as he could determine. The operation commenced at 3.35 P.M. and finished at about 4.30. He said the case was rather difficult because of Harrison being a fat man and the prostate was of her “terrific size,” otherwise operation proceeded normally.

In reply to the Coroner, witness said it was essential that the man should have had the operation.

Dr Peter Austin Isherwood said he performed a post mortem examination. Although Harrison was a fat man he looked very much younger than his years, and he estimated the age as 55. The prostate was nearly 3 times larger than the normal prostate. Cause of death was acute coronary insufficiency due to arterial disease. Witness told the Coroner the operation was essential. The operation was almost an emergency, and there was nothing about his heart condition which could have been discovered by the previous examination, and the thickness of the chest wall would have obscured signs of his chest condition.

The Coroner said he was satisfied that Mr. Harrison required the operation, and he was also satisfied that the examination he received before being given the anaesthetics was satisfactory, and he was a good “operation risk.”