A Dangerous Pratice.

Hastings Standard, Issue 122, 16 September 1896, Page 4

A Dangerous Pratice.

The dangerous pratice indulged in by some mothers of sticking a needle in the bosom of their dress appears to have been responsible for the death in Melbourne of an infant named Leslie Graham Solly, ten months old. The child had been in perfectly good health but on awakening one morning recently was peevish and in pain. In the afternoon, after sleeping most of the day, the child died. At the inquest Dr Neil stated that on making post mortem examination of the body of the deceased he found it to be well nourished and healthy. Death was caused by a needle puncture in the heart. The needle, about fin long, had been in the infant's body some hours, not days, and had entered at right angles to the body ; the eye of the needle was about a quarter of an inch below the skin. The puncture did not cause immediate hemorrhage, but the wound had slowly become distended, filling the pericardium with blood, and stopped the heart's beating. The puncture might have been caused by either wilful or

accidental means. If a needle had been sticking out from the mother's dress at right angles, it might have entered the child's body. The subsequent movements of the child might have caused the needle to penetrate further than at first. The puncture might not have caused much pain. A verdict in accordance with the medical evidence was returned.