KILLED BY A PEANUT

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 271, 21 August 1925, Page 8

KILLED BY A PEANUT

4 CORONER’S WARNING TO PARENTS Bt Telegraph—Press Association Christchurch, August 20. A peanut or a portion of a peanut caused the death of Stuart H. Young, of Nasebv. It lodged in a lung and caused an abscess. An operation was performed, and though the child brightened up, toxima caused death.. “I think that the circumstances in this inquest should be widely known in the interests of public safety,” said the Coroner, in giving his verdict. It seems to have been an honest but grave mistake to allow such a long time to elapse without securing the services o( a specialist to remove the piece of peanut from the lung. Apparently the boy was plaving with his brother. He was made to cry and in inhaling he took down a piece of peanut which was in his mouth. A peanut is a peculiarly pernicious thing when it gets into the lungs. It was thought that the boy would cough it up. A few days went by and finally a week elapsed before he was taken to Dunedin, where two, operations were performed, but then it was too late. The chances of saving the, child would have been immeasurably improved if prompt action had beep taken. It should be a warning to parents and the medical profession in order that the same thing may not happen again in similar circumstances.”