--- a/liboctave/array/Sparse.h	Sat May 14 10:17:11 2016 +1000
+++ b/liboctave/array/Sparse.h	Fri Feb 26 17:53:28 2016 +1100
@@ -697,88 +697,6 @@
 template <typename T>
 std::istream&
 read_sparse_matrix (std::istream& is, Sparse<T>& a,
-                    T (*read_fcn) (std::istream&))
-{
-  octave_idx_type nr = a.rows ();
-  octave_idx_type nc = a.cols ();
-  octave_idx_type nz = a.nzmax ();
-
-  if (nr > 0 && nc > 0)
-    {
-      octave_idx_type itmp;
-      octave_idx_type jtmp;
-      octave_idx_type iold = 0;
-      octave_idx_type jold = 0;
-      octave_idx_type ii = 0;
-      T tmp;
-
-      a.cidx (0) = 0;
-      for (octave_idx_type i = 0; i < nz; i++)
-        {
-          itmp = 0; jtmp = 0;
-          is >> itmp;
-          itmp--;
-
-          is >> jtmp;
-          jtmp--;
-
-          if (itmp < 0 || itmp >= nr)
-            {
-              is.setstate (std::ios::failbit);
-
-              (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-                ("invalid sparse matrix: row index = %d out of range",
-                 itmp + 1);
-            }
-
-          if (jtmp < 0 || jtmp >= nc)
-            {
-              is.setstate (std::ios::failbit);
-
-              (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-                ("invalid sparse matrix: column index = %d out of range",
-                 jtmp + 1);
-            }
-
-          if (jtmp < jold)
-            {
-              is.setstate (std::ios::failbit);
-
-              (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-                ("invalid sparse matrix: "
-                 "column indices must appear in ascending order");
-            }
-          else if (jtmp > jold)
-            {
-              for (octave_idx_type j = jold; j < jtmp; j++)
-                a.cidx (j+1) = ii;
-            }
-          else if (itmp < iold)
-            {
-              is.setstate (std::ios::failbit);
-
-              (*current_liboctave_error_handler)
-                ("invalid sparse matrix: "
-                 "row indices must appear in ascending order in each column");
-            }
-
-          iold = itmp;
-          jold = jtmp;
-
-          tmp = read_fcn (is);
-
-          if (! is)
-            return is;  // Problem, return is in error state
-
-          a.data (ii) = tmp;
-          a.ridx (ii++) = itmp;
-        }
-
-      for (octave_idx_type j = jold; j < nc; j++)
-        a.cidx (j+1) = ii;
-    }
-
-  return is;
-}
+                    T (*read_fcn) (std::istream&));
 
 #endif