MINER’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 November 1926, Page 5

MINER’S DEATH

CORONER ORENS INQUEST. An inquest concerning the death of John Birch, who received injuries in the Rewanui Mine on November 17, from which he died at the Grey Hospital on November 26, was opened at Greymouth to-day, by Coroner W. XV. Meldrum. Senior-Sergeant P. J. McCarthy conducted the proceedings for the police. Dr J. F. C. Moore stated that deceased was admitted to the Grey Hospital on November 17, about 4 p.m. He was suffering from internal injuries, and died on November 26, about 4.30. p.m. On admission he was in a highly excitable and delirious condition, resulting from haemorrhage into the chest. This was caused by extensive fractures of the ribs on the left side of . the chest. With treatment the urgent symptoms subsided, but. pneumonia developed in the left lung,' and the patient’s condition gradually: became' worse, and he died on the 26th, suddenly, from heart failure. A post-mortem revealed two fractures in the third rib, three in the fourth, four in the fifth, a portion of this rib. having extensively injured the lung; two fractures in the sixth rib, and one each, in the seventh, eighth arid ninth fibs. There was considerable, haemorrhage into the chest, and well-marked pneumonic change in the 16ft lung. This was present to a lesser extent in the right lung. The heart' showed little abnormality beyond the effects of age arid some fatty deposit. The other organs were normal. except for senile changes. Deceased was 69 years .of age. The cause "of death was heart failure, following on haemorrhage into the chest and trdmatic pneumonia, consequent ori fractured ribs. Evidence of identification was given by David Armstrong, storekeeper, of Ngatiere, who said he had known the deceased for the past 40 years. ' < , - The inquest was adjourned to Dunollie on Saturday morning, at 10.30 'o’clock.