GRAVE DANGER

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 4

GRAVE DANGER

BRONCHIAL ILLNESS

INQUEST ON CHILD

(Special to "The Evening Port.") . AUCKLAND, May 10. A warning concerning the grave danger of bronchial illness resulting from the lodging of particles of vego table matter in the lungs or bronchial passages was given by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., coroner, at an inquest into the death of a' three-year-old Maori child, John Tapihana, whose parents reside at Maketo. j At the preliminary inquiry the I father, Winiata Tapihana, said that on Friday, April 21, the child was thought to have swallowed a melon seed. The same afternoon he was taken to a doctor at Te Puke, who directed that the child shonld bo taken forthwith to Auckland. However, he was taken to Rotorua, and later to Hamilton Hospital before being admitted to Auckland Hospital. Dr. Bellringer, of the Auckland Hospital staff, gave evidence that the boy was operated on and the_ melon seed was extracted from the windpipe, but the child died the same night from bronchial pnoumonia. In giving a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, the coroner said that the attention of the public should be strongly directed to the very great danger caused by any vegetable substance being taken into the lungs. "Young children who got something down the wrong way should be taken with tho utmost expedition to receive medical attention," he said. "If-there is a delay of even a few days the result may be fatal." Mr. Wilson said that in'his experience as coroner he knew of at least three deaths caused through similar circumstances to those which had brought about the death of the littlo Maori boy. The skins ofl'peanuts were particularly dangerous in this respect, having a definitely toxic action ,if introduced into the lungs.