The death of Les Witto
Every footballer and club supporter will deeply regret the death of Leslie Witto, of the Carlton team, in the Melbourne Hospital on Monday afternoon. In the match against Geelong on the Princes Oval last
Saturday week, he fell in a crush and sustained a double arm fracture. He was hurried to the hospital, where it was soon apparent that his condition was serious, but it came as a shock when his death was announced after nine days. The cause is believed to have been tetanus, but as the facts have been reported to the Coroner, an inquest will probably be held. Witto was 28 years of age, and hailed from Broken Hill, where his relatives live.
He came to Melbourne early this year and qualified to play with Carlton. At first, he was stationed on the centre wing and then at half back, and in both positions he showed promise of greatness. He had already begun to establish a reputation in league company.
His death recalls in a manner the tragic end of Lyle Downs about five years ago. Downs was also a Carlton player. After training one evening, he collapsed and died of heart failure in the dressing room, just as he was about to take a shower bath.
Jack Worrall’s appreciation (Australasian, 28 August 1926)
The news of the death of Leslie Witto, the Carlton footballer who hailed from Broken Hill, in the Melbourne Hospital on August 23, has come as a shock to footballers generally, and Carlton players particularly. Witto met with an accident in the last quarter of the game against Geelong on August 14. Leaping for a mark he fell over another player, coming down heavily with his arm doubled beneath him. One of the broken bones was forced through the flesh, and he was admitted to the hospital.
He had been progressing favourably until tetanus developed. He was at once isolated front the other patients but never recovered, dying as stated. I saw him play against Richmond and Melbourne, and he was a fine type of footballer. It is shocking that his death should have been caused in such a manner, and so far away from home. He was 23 years of age, and lived at Northcote.
Barrier Miner (Evidence at inquest)
Mr Berriman, the City Coroner, last Friday conducted an inquest into the circumstances of the death of the Carlton footballer, Leslie Witto, whose arm was broken in the Carlton versus Geelong match, at Carlton, on August 14 (says a Melbourne message in the Advertiser). Witto died of tetanus at the Melbourne Hospital. Prior to coming to Melbourne, he played football at Broken Hill.
Leslie Charles Polglase, uncle of the deceased, said he saw his nephew jump for the ball with several others, but did not see him fall. He then saw Witto carried off the field and taken into the dressing room, where he was attended by Dr Piper, of Geelong. About five minutes later Dr Strachan of Carlton, dressed the injured arm and ordered his removal to the Melbourne Hospital. The witness noticed that his nephew had a severe wound in the lower part of his arm. He took him to the hospital and told the authorities that Dr Strachan had ordered him immediate attention. Witto was put in bed, but nothing further was done for an hour. Witto told the witness that his arm would be set at 8 p.m. The arm was broken at 4.45. Dr Strachan said Witto told him the affair was an accident.
Replying to Ray Brew, the captain of Carlton, who appeared for the club, the doctor said the tetanus germ was usually found in manured earth, or even ordinary dust or dirt. There was no dirt in the wound in Witto's arm. An hour and a half was a fair lapse of time after the accident for the arm to be set.
Dr Hugh Jones, a resident medical officer at the Melbourne Hospital, said he ordered Witto's injury to be properly attended to. That was done at 7.30. He would consider it necessary to administer anti-tetanic serum only when there was a very deep wound covered with dirt. Witto's arm was fairly clean. Two hours was a safe time to allow before the arm was set.
Dr William Burns, who set the break, stated that the wound was not large enough to cause a fear that tetanus would set in.
To the Coroner: It would have been wiser to cleanse the wound and apply an antiseptic to it on the arrival of Witto at the hospital.
Dr Ainslie, superintendent at the hospital, said on August 19 it was noticed that there was some infection in the arm. He thought tetanns had occurred through direct contact with the earth.
The Coroner: Do you think that there was any carelessness either before or during the treatment of Witto at the hospital.
The Witness: Every care was taken throughout.
The coroner adjourned the inquiry to secure the evidence of Dr Langlands and Dr Nicholls, who also attended Witto.
Verdict of accidental death
… Ralph Whitburn Nicholls, a member of the medical staff at the Melbourne Hospital, said he first examined Witto in the institution on August 15. He was suffering from a compound fracture of the right forearm. The wound had been disinfected, and seemed to be clean and healthy. The witness was informed that Witto had been admitted to the hospital at 6 pm on the previous day and that on the same night Drs W. J. Burns and Hughes-Jones had reduced a compound fracture of both bones in the right forearm, and had surgically cleaned the wound.
On August 20 the wound edges began to swell, and measures were taken to combat infection. On August 21 the wound was more swollen, and under a general anaesthetic, Dr T. E. L. Lambert operated on the wound for infection. Early on August 22 signs of tetanus were first noticed, and large doses of anti-tetanic serum were administered. Another injection was made on the following day, but the patient rapidly grew worse, both in his general condition and in the condition of the forearm. Bacteriological examination of the wound showed the presence of organisms of tetanus. Witto died on August 23.
The Coroner: It has been stated that the deceased was not treated until two hours after his admission to the hospital. As a qualified medical man, do you consider that to be a reasonable delay before cleaning a wound.
The Witness: A considerable time is necessary for preparation for surgically cleaning a wound, although I would like to see the cleansing done as soon as possible.
The Coroner: Is there not a danger of infection unless there is immediate attention?
The Witness: Yes, there is that danger, but it is advisable in cases such as this to wait a little to make full preparations for a thorough cleaning out under an anaesthetic.
The coroner returned a finding of accidental death. To a layman, he said, there appeared to have been some unreasonable delay in treating the deceased in the hospital, but according to the medical evidence the delay had apparently not been unreasonably protracted.
Footnotes
Title: Gossip from the Field and Clubs
Author: The Sporting Globe Staff Writer
Publisher: Sporting Globe (Melbourne, Vic: 1848-1957)
Date: Wednesday, 26 August 1926, p.8
Web: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article184840447
Title: Notes and comments
Author: John Worrall
Publisher: The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic: 1864-1946)
Date: Saturday, 28 August 1926, p.42 (Metropolitan edition)
Web: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article142162110
Title: Death of Les Witto
Author: Barrier Miner Staff Writer
Publisher: Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW: 1888-1954)
Date: Tuesday, 7 September 1926, p.3
Web: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45946112
Date: Wednesday, 22 September 1926, p.2
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