DEATH OF A CHILD.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 155, 30 June 1917, Page 4

DEATH OF A CHILD.

SCALDED BY TEA. A-n inquiry .was held by the' coroner (Mr; E. C. Cutten, SJkL) this morning into the circumstances connected .with tbe death at the hospital of a child named Geoffrey Harrisson Carter, aged 2J years. Evidence given by the father, Shirley Frederick Carter, postal clerk, residing at St. Stephen's Avenue, Epsom. The mother, Elvira Anne Carter, stated that she made a pot of tea and put it on the table. The child was at that time on a chair at the end of the table. When she (the mother) went out to the back kitchen the child must have reached over the table, caught hold of the teapot, and taken a mouthful of the contents. When she came back the child was still in the chair, with hands to its mouth, and there were marks of tea along the cloth. Dr. Cawkwell stated that he was called in shortly after the accident, but too soon for signs of burns in the mouth to be showing. He ordered hot fomentations to be applied, and in the event of difficulty of respiration setting in instructed that the child be at once taken to the hospital. Dr. Bewes stated that the child was suffering from difficulty in breathing -when brought to the hospital. Tracheotomy was performed, but death resulted from pneumonia on the 29th of June. The verdict was in accordance with the medical testimony, the coroner adding that the happening was accidental, with no blame attributable to aav person.