SUDDEN DEATH OF MRS. C. LUCAS

Marlborough Express, Volume VIII, Issue 485, 26 March 1873, Page 3

SUDDEN DEATH OF MRS. C. LUCAS

An- Inquest was held on Monday last at Tua Marina, by Dr. Williams, and a jury of which Mr W. D. Bright was foreman, upon the body of Mrs Mary Lucas, who died suddenly on the Sunday morning.

Mrs Mary Powick deposed that herself and deceased were nursing her -daughter, Mrs Burroughs, by turns. Mrs Lucas came on the previous Tuesday, and stayed until Sunday morning, when she died. She had seemed m good health, and stated that she was better than she had been for some years during which she had known her, although she was never very strong. She wished to have the first part of the night, witness taking, the latter. On Sunday morning, about 430, deceased came up stairs, when witness told her she ought to have come before — that three o'clock was the time, and she ought to have called her. Deceased did not seem tired or sleepy, nor did witness see auy difference m her. She heard her walking about for ten minutes , after. She thought she heard her talking to someone, and then she distinctly heard her say, "Oh dear, what shall I do?" Taking the candle, she went up, aud found deceased lying on the side of the bed with her feet resting on the floor. She lifted them into bed, and asked what she could do for her. She replied, "Nothing," but complained that her head was bad, and she was never so ill before. She breathed heavily a few times, and then expired. Before she died she asked witness to put on her night-dress and cap, and seemed quite sensible. She could not take anything. Wituess went down to get some wine, but when she returned she f oxind her dead . There was 110 time to send for a doctor.

Charles Lucas, husband of deceased, deposed that she had- complained of her chest being bad before, and that she thought it was her heart that was affected, and that he always expected she would die suddenly. She was 64 years of age. . •

Dr. Home deposed to having known the deceased for fourteen years, but had not attended her, although he had attended other members of the family. He was not aware that she suf fered from any organic disease. He had made a post mortem examination of the body ; found a slight trace of disease on the right lung, but insufficient to cause death ; found the heart extensively diseased, very flabby, loaded with fat, and m a most unnatural condition — what is known as a weak heart ; found quite sufficient to account for death ; was of opinion that she died of disease of tlie heart.

The verdict was that deceased died a natural death from disease of the heart.