REEFTON NOTES

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 October 1928, Page 5

REEFTON NOTES

(Our Own Correspondent.)

REEFTON, October 12.

Mrs Montgomerie, a former resident of Reefton, arrived in Reefton on Wednesday evening after a long holiday spent in Canada. Mrs Montgomerie proposes to spend a fortnight in Reefton, renewing old friendships. Mr Jesse Steer, of Christchurch, passed through Reefton en route to Nelson, yesterday afternoon. The Rev. J. W. Bloyce, of Westport, arrives in Reefton to-day, and will officiate at the funeral of the late James Scarlett.

Mr W. B. Auld, County Clerk, has received advice of the Empire Forestry Conference’s movements as follows: —The Empire Forestry Conference delegates will leave Greymouth by the 7.15 a.m. train on Saturday next, arriving at Reefton at 10.7, and leave Reefton by motor for Nelson, arriving at Nelson at 6.30, and will board a steamer immediately for Wellington. Mr W. Clayton, County Chairman, will interview the delegates at Greymouth and lay before them the various features of forestry, peculiar’ to this district.

The Inangahua Trotting Club Committee met on- Wednesday evening, Mr A. T. Brooks presiding, and it was decided to defer the framing of the programe until the draft programme of the Westport and Greymouth Clubs were received, so that the classes for the several events shall be made to correspond with the programmes of the two Clubs named. The question of payment to the Reef ton Jockey Club for the course was discussed at length and the previous decision was adhered to. It was decided to write the Reefton Jockey Club and inform them that the Trotting Club was willing to submit the question to an arbitrator. DEATH OF A CHILD. An inquest was held at the Court House yesterday before Mr. W. Auld J. P. coroner, concerning the death of the infant son-of Mr.. and Mrs T. C. Doilman, of Waiuta. Dr. J. L. Wicken stated that on October 10th he received a telephone message from Matron Hunt, of Waiuta Hospital informing him that Mrs Dollman was at the Hospital, and said that her child was very ill, or dead. He instructed the Matron to go and see the child and later on in the morning she informed him that the child was dead. At 3.30 p.m., lie called at Dollman’s residence and found the child dead. It had apparently been dead from 7 to 8 hours. The child was lying in bed and there were no signs of violence. He had not attended the child since its birth. By order of the Coroner lie conducted a post-mortem examination, and found the cause of death to be septic diarrhoea, which caused an altered condition of the blood. This led to anti-mortem clotting in the heart. Some of these clots were washed into both lungs, and caused sudden death. All other organs were normal, and the child appeared a healthy well-grown infant for its age. Apart from diarrhoea for a day or so, there would not be any symptoms calling for medical attention.

To the Coroner: The child had not received any attention from the Matron of the Hospital at Waiuta. To Sergeant Fryer: The food given the child would have very little bearing on the case. To the Coroner: The child appeared well nourished.

Thomas Edward Dollman, father of the child, stated the child was born on May 28 last. It. was inclined to be delicate, but had not received any medical attention. The child had been fed for the last two months on condensed milk. On Tuesday, October 9, the child was suffering from a touch of diarrhoea and did not care about, food. It slept for the early part of. the night. Witness arrived home at midnight and the child was cross until 2.30 a.m. It went to sleep then and awoke at 4 a.m., and went to sleep again in about five minutes. At 8.25 witness got up and had a look at the child and it -seemed a peculiar colour. There did not appear to be any life in the child. Mrs Dollman went for the Matron of the Hospital at once. She came immediately and found the child to be dead. The child slept in th© same, bed as the parents. There was no Pluuket Nurse at Waiuta. Mrs Hilda Dollman stated that the Matron of the Hospital prescribed humanised milk for the child, but did not specify for any particular period. Witness put the child on this for two months, but it did not seem to thrive. She then put it on condensed milk and the child appeared to be doingbetter. The child suffered from diarrhoea for just one day. The Coroner returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.