Inquest Into Death Of Kaikohe Native Infant

Northern Advocate, 31 July 1939, Page 4

Inquest Into Death Of Kaikohe Native Infant

After being bathed at 5.30 p.m. on Wednesday, the infant son of a Maori, Fred Tane. of Kaikohe, died while being dressed. An inquest into the cause of the death of the child, which was aged four months, was held before the District Coroner, Mr T. J. V. Dunlop, of Kawakawa.

The child had been healthy since its birth on March 21 and, except that he appeared to have difficulty in breathing at times, had never given any indication of ailing. The child had never been attended by .a doctor, but had been seen by the district nurse one week after birth, and again the week prior to his death. A post mortem examination on the body by Dr. N. G. McLean revealed that the thymus gland was abnormally enlarged, and that there was an excess of pericardial , fluid. Dr. McLean was of the opinion that the condition of the gland would cause ,n condition of status lymphaticus. and that the turning over of the child would be sufficient to cause death, similar to cases where children had succumbed while under an anaesthetic. . In accordance with the medical evidence, the coroner returned ,a verdict of death from natural causes.