DOCTORS PUZZLED.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20272, 25 June 1931, Page 3

DOCTORS PUZZLED.

! DEATH OF MARRIED WOMAN EVIDENCE , AT INQUEST. ■ Th© reasons for the development of_ the conditions which caused the death of Edith Hose Rees, a married woman, of 185 Opawa road, at; the Lewisham Hospital on April 14th, puzzled the doctors who gave evidence at the inquest held yesterday. Mr H. A. Youpg was the Coroner, and Mr W. 1?. Tracy appeared' for the husband. Dr. J. P. Landreth said'that he had seen Mrs . Rees on Friday, April' 10th, when she had been admitted to Lewis- 'i ham Hospital. Dr. B. H." Gilmour had 'j then informed him in the course of a . telephone conversation • that, he : had been attending her, that for two days v she had been in & condition of alternating uhdonsciousness and delirium,, and that on Wednesday and Thursday be had given her a total, of 45 grains i of medinal. Mrs Rees had at the tune been, deeply unconscious, and there had been no evidence pointing to any local brain disease. Her condition had not changed until her death, and no, definite indication of any disease ■ bad been found on a further examina-. tion. There had been no external marks on the body, and he had thought it possible, in the absence of other" evidence, that death might be dufe to a ' narcotic. Everything possible had been done for her at the Hospital. Results of Post-mortem. •Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the public Hospital, who had made a post-mortem examination, said that he had not found any gross pathological conditions on the body, the only-change-found being oedema of' the "brain, which would be in keeping with the conditions described by Dr. Landreth. Airs Rees had had previous operations,' but everything concerned : with them had been quite healthy. Certain organs had . been. sent to the Government analyst, but his report had been negative, although he liad been particularly asked to look for traces or the drug. He had found general congestion of ali organs, but that was nothing exceptional. Oedema was a water-logged condition of the brain, which, might arise from, many causes, though he did not think that excessive worry could cause it. The Magistrate: It has been suggested that Mrs Rees died of a broken h&art. Is that recognised in your practioe? . - Dr. Pearson: No. Continuing, Dr. Pearson said that he was of the opinion- that" the administration of the drug might have brought about the oedema. Forty-five grains ot medinal ; was not excessive for a nor-. . mal patient. Mrs Rees might have been peculiarly susceptible to it. He was surprised that the Government analyst had been unable to find any i trace of the drug. No amount of worry ! could have caused oedema r the brain, and domestic unhappiness could cot have given Ti.se to the unconsoiousness and delirium referred to by Dr. LanI dreth. Husband's Evidence. . Evan Barr Rees, a clerk, said that on Tuesday, April 7th, he had arrived, home at about 11 p.m., after going "to th-* pictures with his wife and -his sister. His wife had -gone straight vo bed. He 'had been in the next room, and had later heard his wife Bobbing , He had gone into th© room,' and had; l iound bis wife ait/tins: up in bed, stein-

'."•v. - -' J . .i — : ing to be hysterical. He .had. spoken : toTier; - but she had not answered, and he had gone out and boiled* some milk . for her, but "she would not take it. He had then-gone'for-his neighbour, Mrs ... Double, who .-had come over. At his - suggestion his wife had been given - two tablets of mcsdinaj-, aiid>he thoughts that < she had taken milk with them. She had then gene to sleep. The next morning her condition had-been about * tli.' same;' andheAiad sent for Dr. Gilinour, "who had given a'prescription for inedinal tablets—two , every four hourfc. The actual administering of the., tablets had not been in his hands* To his : inind it seemed as though . the tablets had kept her in the semi-de-lirious condition. ' , . Previous Attacks. . Oil the "Wednesday or the Thursday • the doctor had injected morphia, - and • on Friday ,10th, on ;,the- doctor's suggestion, .Mrs Rees had been sent to'th# hospital. Between October and Det»mber of 1030 his wife- bad had ..a sum— v lar attack, and Dr. Gilmour had then been called in. At that time he had prescribed medinal tablets, a. and a special diet. Before- going *mt that evening he -liad a|i argument. ivitjj ;liia ; .wife, bub they-had not'been unhappy in their .married life. At the theatra "his' wife "had*, herself. -•' Tie Coroner'returned "a verdict thafc~< death had-been caused by oedema o|'' the brain, and * general" congestion' of • the organs.' Witness intimidated POLICE ALLEGATION. : (PRESS ASSOCIATION TEUBGSAit.) WELLINGTON, June '24. Quite a sensation was caused at the Magistrate's Court during the hearing «o£ a case against two women when SubInspector "Ward, who was conducting the prosecution for the police, told the. v Magistrate, -Mr E. Page, that a witness who had given evidence, Mrs Corley, daughter of Mrs Burton, had after leaving the. Court been molested-by her father, who said she - had no right to - give evidence. He was also reported to?"" have told her she would suffer for it : . afterwards. It appeared ,that her - father, who had been at the back of the Court, had been shaking-hiafist at her while she was in the witness box. That . was perhaps the reason why she had been so reluctant to answer certain questions. Mr Meltzer, who appeared for Mrs Burton: I understand the, father is not the present husband of the accused. They are divorced I believe. Sub-Inspector Ward to Mr Page: He is in the prisoner's room'now. " ' Mr Page: Have 'him brought here. . "I got a surprise to see her <y>ming to Court to-day," said the girl's father, when he appeared before the Magistrate. "When she was walking . along to get in the box- I just pat up my hand." Mr Pago: If What the police say is correct you are guilty first of all ©f contempt of Court, for which you are liable for imprisonmnent. If it S true you have threatened this girl in any way you are liable to be charged with an offence indictable under the . Grimes Act -for interfering with the conduct of a Court of Justice. I will instruct that if there is,any evidence of that interference or ipf the slightest repetition I will direct the police to - prosecute you. Tire father then attempted- to wake a further -explanation, but the. Magistrate. quickly ordered him to atop.