FATAL PEANUT

Evening Star, Issue 19025, 21 August 1925, Page 5

FATAL PEANUT

" A PECULIARLY PERNICIOUS THING " NASEBY BOY'S DEATH. [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, August 20. A peanut, or portion ol : a peanut, caused the death of Stuart H. Young, of Na.se by. It lodged in Ids lung, and caused an abscess. An operation was performed, and, though the child brightened up, toxemia caused death. “ I think the circumstances in this inquest should bo widely known in the interests of public .safety,” said the coroner, in giving ids verdict. “It seems to have been an honest but grave mistake to allow such a long time to olapso without .securing the services of a specialist to remove the piece of peanut from the lung. Apparently the boy was playing with his brother. He was made to cry, and in inhaling lie 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 lie was taken to Dunedin, where two operations were performed, but then it was too late. The chances of saving the child would have boon immeasurably improved if prompt action had been 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.” [The Dunedin hospital authorities report that the boy was not admitted to that institution after a careful search having been made of the admission records this morning.]