HOSPITAL SUICIDE. [

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 167, 15 July 1914, Page 5

HOSPITAL SUICIDE. [

• FALL FROM BALCONY. PATIENT!? TERRIBLE DEATH. A suicide under dislre.-sing and most 1 unusual cir.-uni.-tn.nces occurred at the j Hospital yesterday af ernoon. when Mrs. j Florence Annie ' Spencer. residing at Queen's Avenue. Epsom, and an in-patient ' at the Hospital. I brew herself from the I balcony of unc ..f ibe rear wards, in lull ] view of the patients, a distance of about -20 feet to the ground, death following a few minutes afterwards. Sl,e sustained a fracture to the bare of the skull, us ucli as other severe bodily injuries, and died after being removed to the casualty ward. Her act was s-. sudden I land came as so great a surprise that il was impossible tv prevent her from .-.mi- i mining the rush act. i Near the spot where ■,;,,. f,.|i ( u .i male! patients were standing. ..ne of whom.] ' Frederick Irons, rushed to her assistance I 'as he saw her hurtling through lb.- air. j He wa- 100 late, however, to break her | fall. In spite of the fact that he and his j fellow-patient were themselves invalid, they lifted up the dying woman and carried her in-ide the Hospital. j In his evidence to the coroner I Mr. F. ! V. V razor. S.M.). taken inside the ward! fins morning. Irons stated thai his audition was lirst directed by hearing a cry from the balcony. Unking up, he saw i deceased falling through the air. I Another witness, who was speaking In deceased a few seconds before the affair, j Carrie Sundlan.l by mime, stated that dc- I .eased appeared toll.' in a happy frame of j mind, showing no sign- of mental deprcs I sinn. After conversing with her for a short time, deceased rose an.l said. "I ; Ihink I'll go fur ~ walk." She th-u went uvay and. returning In witness' bedside. 1 looked nt l.cr face ivilh n -flight fill mad expression." Deceased then -aid. ••Von ponr thing." and then Walked slraight io Ihe windows ~| ihe bi'lcnnv. and. going ullt-ide. threw herself over. The affair wns iil.sul.iiclv unforeseen, added witness. ' Dr. Mugiiii-c id posed thai be attended Ihe dying woman iminediatelv mi lieim. notified of the ulfair. and llm't be found 1-r bleeding profusely from the month, j nose and cut--, nnd gasping fur breath, j She died wiiiiin a tew minutes. I!" later cuiidncicil a pnsl-nmrleui .-xuniina Hon. and found thai sue had sustained a fracture .:t the base „f f !„. -U„i|. sl,» | had been v palicui at the Hospital on \ several occasions, haling last been a.lniii , led >>:i .Inly 2 for diabetes. She hail been operated upon for ~ severe pain in the • ear. but apparently without success. Such : patients, be added', were liable to deprcs'.n. and be thought that the affair was' a i.-siill of a sudden suicidal impulse. ' perhaps accentuated l.y the pain iv the i ear. > The coroner returned a verdict according to the evidence, adding that her action was due to a sudden suicidal im pulse, nn blame being a'tacliablr to the Hospital authorities.