DEATH AT A NURSING HOME.

Evening Star, Issue 13014, 8 January 1907, Page 6

DEATH AT A NURSING HOME.

The district coroner (Mr C. C- Graham) this morning conducted an inquest on the body of Robert Dunlop, aged three months, who died yesterday at the licensed nursing home for children Isvpt by Mrs Jorvrs, at 72 Forth street. The mother is a ringie woman. Of the jury, Mr Edgar Lacey was chosen foreman.

Emily Jarvis, keeper of the home, deposed that the deceased child was put into her charge-on the 14th of November, 1906. He was brought to the home by bis mother, a single woman. Witness arranged to keep the infant at a charge of 9s per week. When brought to the home' the child apr pea red to be in good health. He continued m good health until a week ago, when he seemed to be sickening. She had been feeding him on Neavete food and milk and water. She sent for the doctor on Sunday, 6th January, and Dr De Lautonr came and prescribed for the child. Witness carried out the doctor’s instructions carefully. The doctor visited the child again yesterday morning, bnt he died at a quarter past twelve. The child would have been three months old to-day. Dr B. E. De Lautonr said he was called in to see the deceased child on Sunday last, January 5. He found him then to be suffering from infantile cholera, and understood the infant had been ill since the previous Wednesday. He prescribed for hun, hut from the first bo did not hold out very much hope. He called again next morning (yesterday), and the child was then apparently moribund- He thought it expedient to try further treatment, but the child died shortly afterwards. He appeared to have been 'carefully looked after, and no blame was attachable to Mrs Jarvis, who, he considered, was quite competent to take care of children. Witness was present at the birth of the child. He seemed to be a fine, healthy baby. Witness considered the acHial cause of death was simply exhaustion brought on by infantile cholera, Marion Hill, Government inspector oi licensed homes for children, deposed that she knew Mrs Jarvis, having frequently via. ited her home. She saw the child on the day it was received into the home, and three times since. Her visits were made entirely without notice. The child appeared to have been well and property cared for, and seemed to have improved in condition up to within a week ago. Witness called at the bouse on Sunday afternoon, when the child looked very ill indeed, and there seoemd to be very little hope. Mrs Jarvis -was doing all she could in accordance with the doctor’s instructions. The evidence of the mother was not taken, as she had not been nursing the child. . The Coroner explained that the inquest was held, not because of any suspicions cir. cumstances, for there were none, but because the law required that in every case where a death occurred in a nursing home, prison, mental hospital, or other institution an inquest must be held. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the’ medical testimony—that death was caused by exhaustion brought on by infantile cholera.