Another "Enlarged Spleen" Case

in N. Guinea

rE old story of a native labourer with an enlarged spleen dying sud denly, and leaving his white em ployer to face a charge of manslaughter, or something of the kind, was told again in the Coroner’s Court in Rabaul, in December.

Native labourers employed by .F. C.

Nunan at the Mandres sawmill, operated by W. R. Carpenter & Co., near Rabaul, did not carry out their instructions satisfactorily, and irritated the manager, who punished them. The natives say that he punched them. Mr. Nunan says that he merely slapped their faces.

However, one of the labourers died shortly afterwards. Mr. Nunan hurried into Rabaul with the body, and had a post-mortem carried out. Dr. Cooper said the man’s spleen was grossly enlarged, weighing 53 ounces, compared with a normal spleen of 6 or 7 ounces. He said

that he found no evidence of a severe blow having been struck, and that an enlarged spleen of this description was very brittle and easily could be fatally ruptured.

The Coroner found that cause of death was the rupture of the spleen, and that the rupture was caused by Mr. Nunan unlawfully assaulting the native. Nunan was committed for trial. The Coroner referred to the danger of employing natives with enlarged spleens and said that legislation should be introduced to prohibit their employment—a warning that was overdue years ago.

Rev. and Mrs. Maurice Nixon, who are workers for the London Missionary Society at Lawes College, Fife Bay, Papua, arrived in Sydney recently by the “Macdhui” on furlough. After visiting their son, who is being educated in Sydney. they proceeded to South Australia.

MR. C. E. LEEMBRUGGEN, who recently took up the post of Collector of Customs at Lautoka, Fiji.