By Carmen Hayman
On a winter morning in Christchurch in 1930, a young school principal walked into hospital for a routine operation. By mid-afternoon she had died. She was 37 years old, and Craighead Girls’ School would never be the same again...
When Craighead Girls’ School became a Diocesan school, the first Principal appointed in November 1926 was Miss Violet Salmond. Craighead had previously been managed by the three Misses Shand.
Violet was born in London in 1892. She was a graduate of London University and attended Bedford Training College, where she obtained her diploma. During the First World War, Miss Salmond taught at a boys’ school in Ireland. She was also a very accomplished tennis and hockey player.
By the time of her appointment to Craighead, she was Assistant Mistress at the Church of England College, Edgbaston, Birmingham, where she also held the position of Senior Mathematics Mistress. She was spoken of as being one of the leading teachers in England.
In early February 1927, Miss Salmond arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, aboard the Rimutaka from London. She quickly made her way to Timaru. By 9 February she was in residence and ready to interview parents.
Violet settled in well and became popular among staff, pupils, and the public. She frequently appeared in the social pages of the Timaru Herald, reporting on her trips to the North Island, her journeys around the South Island in her five-seater Morris Oxford, and her membership of the Automobile Association. Her tennis matches and the numerous social occasions she hosted and attended were also noted.
In October 1928, her cousin, British Air Chief Sir John Salmond, even made a visit to see her in Timaru, causing local excitement.
On the morning of 28 August 1930, Violet was at St George’s Hospital in Christchurch for what should have been a routine operation to remove her tonsils.
Miss Salmond was prepared by the nurse using a local anaesthetic applied with a swab. When Dr MacGibbon, assisted by Dr Cranshaw, came in, he asked for a local anaesthetic for further painting of the nose. He then asked for anaesthetic in a syringe.
Within minutes, Violet became restless and started to spasm.
Dr Cranshaw asked Nurse Clarkson what she had put in the syringe. Her answer was cocaine and adrenaline.
By this time, Violet was unconscious. She had difficulty breathing and her pulse could scarcely be felt. The doctor ordered oxygen and began various approved methods of artificial respiration, including the administration of brandy.
After twenty minutes, her breathing and heartbeat became more regular, and by 12.30 pm she seemed to be on the road to recovery. Dr MacGibbon went home but was telephoned by the hospital Matron at 3.10 pm to be told that Miss Salmond had died.
Dr MacGibbon returned to the hospital and the police were called. The Coroner decided that a post-mortem examination was not needed, as Miss Salmond had no relatives in New Zealand to be represented, and in the interests of the theatre nurse’s health the inquest should proceed immediately.
During the inquest it was determined that Nurse Clarkson should have put neo-cain in the syringe, not cocaine. She had used cocaine and adrenaline previously. The label on the bottle had stated “for local application, not for injection”. She admitted she had not read the label properly and that she should have known not to use it.
Dr MacGibbon admitted he had not given clear instructions. His explanation was that the nurse was flurried and did not know that cocaine and adrenaline were not to be used for injections, and he had taken it for granted that she would know what he wanted.
The verdict of the inquest was that the cause of death was alkaloid poisoning due to cocaine, which, by mistake, instead of neo-cain, was injected around the tonsils of the deceased prior to an operation for their removal. No blame was attachable to the operating surgeons.
Violet’s body was transported back to Timaru, where her funeral was held at St Mary’s Church two days later. The funeral service, conducted by Rev Crosse of Christ’s College, drew a large attendance of ex-pupils, representative citizens, and members of the general public.
A memorial service was also held the following day.
Soon afterwards, people began to talk and ask questions. Why was no post-mortem held? Why did the inquest happen so quickly? Agitation and anger began to build, and the doctors involved even received threats.
The situation made its way to Parliament, and it was decided that further inquiry was needed. The inquest was re-opened two weeks later.
Although no new evidence came to hand, the recommendation of the Coroner was:
“In view of this fatality, and with a view to eliminating the possibility of a similar error, I would suggest to operating surgeons that when there is a drug of lethal quantity being injected, they themselves should fill or supervise the filling of the syringe.”
Violet Monica Salmond is buried in the Timaru Cemetery, Row 49, Plot 184.
She was a popular and respected Principal. Salmond House at Craighead, later destroyed by an arson attack in 2009, was named after her. A sundial and a prize for Divinity honour her memory.
I will leave the last words to Rev Monaghan, who spoke at her memorial service:
“Miss Salmond had been at Craighead scarcely four years. Some might think it was not long enough for her influence to be felt. Perhaps they were wrong. Perhaps God thought she had accomplished the work she had had to do. Perhaps she kindled in the hearts of some girls an ideal which would result in good for the community. Miss Salmond fanned in her pupils such a flame of earnestness and devotion that it would not fail them throughout their lives.”
OBITUARY
Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 288, 1 September 1930, Page 11 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19300901.2.107
MISS SALMOND’S DEATH.
Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18659, 30 August 1930, Page 8
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/THD19300830.2.46
A PATIENT’S DEATH.
Otago Witness, Issue 3990, 2 September 1930, Page 33
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19300902.2.112
LATE MISS V. M. SALMOND.
Star (Christchurch), Issue 19163, 1 September 1930, Page 10
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TS19300901.2.128