PEANUT CAUSES DEATH

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 130, 6 June 1927, Page 12

PEANUT CAUSES DEATH

AFTER THREE WEEKS

A peanut eaten three weeks before was found at an inquest on Saturday to be the cause of the death of Robert Hunt, aged 3} years, who suddenly choked ana diea after ainner at his parents' resident at 30, Hamilton road, Hataitai, last Thursday. Tho evidence showed that just after the child had eaten the peanut he fell while running, and, on being picked up, suffered a fit of coughing. He then bocame sick ana was put to bed. A little later he aevelopea a wheeze in his throat, but this Boon left him, although the cough remained. A doctor treatea the chiia for a cold, and the peanut incident was not mentioned. The boy seemed soon to becomo his normal self again, ana no further development occurred until last Thursday, when he died a few minutes after having a good dinner. As nothing could be found in the child's throat, ana as ho haa always been healthy ana strong, a doctor would not give a certificate of death. A post-mortem examination, however, revealea a piece of peanut in the right bronchus, which leads from tho windpipe to the lungs. The Coroner found that the child died on 2nd June from asphyxia caused by a foreign body acciaentally finding its way into the right bronchus. No blame was attachable to anyone, ana the affair was most unfortunate.