WOMAN’S DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 10 September 1937, Page 4

WOMAN’S DEATH

CRITICISM OF CORONER,

TE KLHTI. September 9

“Mrs McGrath made an error of judgment in not callitg a doctor,” said the District Coroner (Mr R. M. Somerville), after hearing evidence oncoming the death of Isabella Rose Liddell. known as Dolly Liddell, a single woman, aged 22 years, at .Mrs Daisy Margaret McGrath’s home last Saturday morning.

The Coroner’s finding was that deceased died from pneumonia, which followed a septic throat and bronchitis.

On Saturday last, at 4 a.m., a doctor was called and found that the deceased had died about ten minutes before from heart failure, following on pneumonia.

A neighbour, Mrs Cailyon. a doctor’s widow, with forty years’ nursing experience, said that when sin* s w deceased on Thursday, prior to her death, she knew that she was a dying girl. She remonstrated with Mrs McGrath saying: “Dolly is in a terrible state, and 1 would not have the responsibility for ten minutes, without medical aid.” However, .Mrs McGrath said that Dolly was then getting better. Mrs McGrath, in evidence, said that the girl had a quinsy, which broke on August 26th. After that she was much easier, and seemed slowly to be getting stronger and began to eat better. She ate mashed vegetables on the night before her death, and during the night took barley water.

Asked by Constable Fraser why she did not call a doctor alter Mrs Cail.von’s warning, she said that s 'e bit 1 wanted to do so. hut deceased said that she was all rigid.