INQUESTS. ADJOURNED INQUEST ON GEORGE

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 40, 19 May 1869, Page 3

INQUESTS. ADJOURNED INQUEST ON GEORGE

RICHARDSON. The adjourned inquest on George Richardson, landlord of the Q-olden Fleece Tavern, who died on Wednesday, the 9th instant, was held in the Courthouse, at two o'clock, on Saturday last. "William Gibson, being sworn, said : — I knew deceased. On Tuesday last, hearing that Richardson was ill, I called to see him. Saw Mrs. Richardson, who told me her husband had taken a composing draught, which was to make him sleep from eight to twelve hours. Mrs. Richardson asked me to go and look at her husband, as she noticed that he breathed very heavily. I went in, and found Dr. Yickerman in <he room. The patient was altered very much. What struck me was the breathing, which was very long between, but very heavy. I asked the doctor how he accounted for it. He said that it was produced by the draught, and that it was not unusual under the circumstances. On returning to the other room I told Mrs. Richardson that she could not do better than take the doctor's advice, and go to bed. The doctor, before my departure, came into the parlour ; I saw nothing in him to cause me to think ho was intoxicated ; but I should not have liked him to prescribe for me. This was four hours after ho had administered the draught. I advised Mrs. Richardson, if tho patient was not better next morning, to have a consultation. All that I remember seeing the doctor drink was one glass of sherry. I never knew Richardson to have an attack of delirium tremens before, though I have known him for years. Thomas Mooro Bryant, deposed : I was at the Fleece on Tuesd.'iv evening lash, at about half-past eleven. I went to see how Richardson was. Mrs. Richardson told me he was no better. Dr. Tickerman arrived shortly afterwards. Gibson told me Richardson had a draught given to him, and that he was still asleep. Mrs. Richardson, who had gone into the room where her husband lay, returned, and Baid she did not like his breathing. I went in to see Richardson, and found Dr. Vickerman feeling his pulse. The doctor ordered a glass of weak bran dy-and- water. I noticed nothing particular in Richardson except the breathing. I asked what was the matter, and the doctor 6aid it was the result of a strong narcotic ho had given. This conversation occurred in the bar-parlour. The doctor appeared considerably excited. I only noticed that he called for one glass. I thought his excitement proceeded chiefly from the case. William George Kemp, deposed : I am a duly qualified medical practitioner. On Wednesday I was called to see Mr. G. Richardson, at about half-past twelve. I went and found him breathing heavily, the pulse very feeble, and the eyes closed. I raised one of the eyelids to Bee if he showed any signs of sensibility, but he showed none. I found Dr. Vickerman there. Die said he thought I could do no good, but had sent for me to satisfy Mrs. Richardson. I said the only thing that could do him good was a beef tea injection. I went to the hospital to get a syringe. I just commenced giving the injection when Dr. Vickerman, who was standing by his head, said he was gone. I immediately desisted, and remained only a few minutes longer. Since then I have made a post mortem examination. I found tho body generally fairly nourished, but the back parts livid. The vcius above the brain were congested, and contained dark blood. The brain was softened, especially on the left side. There was no sign of inflammation in the cerebellum ; the lungs were healthy, but slightly congested. Softening of the brain would be caused by drin.k The heart was healthy ; the liver was slightly enlarged and of a rather pale colour. The upper part of the intestines showed signs of inflammation. Excessive drinking had caused the brain to soften, and the opiates taken by the patient overpowered his brain in such a manner that he 6ank under it. No one could have told the brain was affected as it was. I have seen the dose as prescribed by Dr. Vickerman as entered in his book. I don't think the dose administered would have caused death to a healthy person. The last was a larger dose than I might have given, but under the circumstances it was given quite warrantably, as the man had not slept for five nights, and sleep was absolutely necessary for him. F. W. Irvine deposed : I yesterday made a post mortem examination on the body of the late Q-eorge Richardson. There was nothing remarkable about the external parts of the body. Perhaps there was more lividity about ifc than is usual, but that is to be attributed to the liquid state of the blood. I agree with every item of tho former witness's evidence, except in the conclusions that the softening of the brain could not bo owing to a narcotic, and must be owing to alcohol. I consider that death ensued from doses of morphia, which under ordinary circumstances would prove safe and beneficial, but owing to the state of tho deceased's brain it overpowered him. Death was caused by coma commencing in the brain and settling on the lungs. W. G. Kemp recalled : On finding that three doses were given instead of two, I don't think it was too strong for a man suffering from delirium tremens. The jury after consulting for about half an hour, returning the following verdict :— " Thut death arose from doses of morphia, which under ordinary circumstances would have proved safe, but owing to the softened state of the brain from intemperance overpowered it." INQUEST on THE TWIN CHILDREN, FRANCIS JAMES and ERNEST HAWKINS. An inquest was held at the Court-house, on Saturday, before Dr. Squires, on the above-named children, who had died on the 2nd instant, and whose bodies had been exhumed by order of the Coroner. On calling over the names of tho jury, Mr. W. Milner not being in attendance, he was fined £2. Peter Hawkins, carter, being sworn, said : I identify tho bodies as those of my two children Francis James and Ernest Hawkins, born on the 24th of April. On Saturday, the Ist May, the children appeared to be suffering pain, and I requested Dr. Vickerman to see them. The doctor prescribed for them ; the medicine was in a bottle, labelled, " A teaspoonful to be taken every four hours." [Bottle produced.] A dose was administered about niue o'clock on Saturday night ; after which thej became sleepy. Francis James fell into what appeared a sound sleep, but the other child at times seemed to be dead. They continued in this state until three o'clock on Sunday afternoon, whon Ernest died, and his brother died about nino the same evening. The children appeared to have a kind of convulsions. I asked tho doctor to give

them medicine to quiet them sometime on Saturday morning. Ernest was weakly, but the other child was strong. To the Foreman : Both children went to sleep about tho same time, only the medicine appeared to most affect the weaker one. To a Juryman : Dr. Irviue was sent for by Mrs. Blythe. He came about two o'clock in the afternoon of Suuday, when Ernest was dead. To the Foreman : Dr. Irvine prescribed nothing for the Jiving child, as it was too far gone. To a Juryman : Dr. Vickerman had seen the children several times before Dr. Irvine was called in, and said ho thought Ernest would not live. Francis Wemyss Irvine deposed : lam a qualified medical practioner. Immediately after service on Sunday, May 2, I received a message to go and see Mrs. Hawkins. I went about five minutes to two. I found Mrs. Hawkins in bed crying. The nurse (Miss Blythe) was sitting by tho fire with a child on her knees, and another child was laid in a corner dead. The living child appeared near death. The face was dusky, the breathing slow and difficult, the pulse exceedingly feeble, the eyes wide open and had a staring expression, the pupils were enlarged and were not affected by a strong light. I inquired into the circumstances of the case, and was told the children were eight days old, and with their mother had been attended by Dr. Vickerman, who had seen them on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Mrs. Blythe told me that on Tuesday the doctor had fallen on the bed and hurt Mrs. Hawkens's face and wrisfc, and that the patient suffered from fits afterwards for several hours. Dr. Vickerman had called on Saturday evening and desired tho father to fetch a bottle of medicine for one of the children which appeared to be in pain in the bowels. Hawkins fetched tho medicine and gave both the children a tea spoonful. He showed me the bottle. [Bottle produced]. The directions on the bottle state that one tea spoonful should be taken every four hours. Only one dose was given, as the effect of this created alarm. The children became drowsy after taking the medicine, and during the night suffered from jerkings or convulsions, and the weakest child died a short time before I was called. I remarked tho child was more like a doll than a baby. I told the mother I could do nothing for the living child, but to give it a little sherry and beef tea. The inquest was adjourned until Tuesday, the 18th. Adjourned Inquest. The adjourned inquest on the twin children Hawkins, was held in the Court-house yesterday. Francis Wemyss Irvine (in continuation of examination) 6aid : While waiting for the wine, the pulse ceased to be perceptible, but revived on giving the wine. I remained about forty minutes, during which time tho pulso became imperceptible and returned, two or three times. Thinking that the children might have been made ill by an alteration in the milk in consequence of the mother's fits on Tuesday, I asked her to bo good enough to put a drop or two of her milk on my thumb-nail. The taste was peculiar. It was nob the natural taste. I asked several questions as to the course of her illness, but made no remarks. On leaving, the father said to me, " I suspect tho medicine has been too strong for the children." I made no reply. Half-an-hour afterwards I called on Dr. Vickerman, and told him of what had occurred. I did not ask him any questions, but ho remarked of his own accord that he had given a weak solution of opium. The words he used were, " I only gave them a drop of opium tincture to a dose." I said to him he must not be vexed at my telling him of the occurrence, for I had rather he heard it from me direct than in a round-about way. When I was leaving, Dr. Vickerman said he was about to go to Hawkins' when I called, and asked if he should still go. I replied that as I had withdrawn from the case, it was free for him to go or not as he liked. I did not see Dr. Vickerman from that time until this inquest was called. I made a post-mortem examination of the body of Francis James Hawkins, on Sunday, the 16th May, in company with Dr. Cotterell, fourteen days after death. Decomposition of the body was very advanced. The scurf skin was detached from the whole of tho body. The body was smaller than usual for a single child, but for twins not unusually so. The brain was semiliquified, which I ascribe to natural decay ; portions of it wore congested especially near the membranes covering it, which were also congested. The dura mater was so in portions. The features were not contorted. The heart and lungs were healthy, there being rather more blood on the right side of the heart than on the left. The stomach was in an advanced state of decomposition, and the odour of the contents was fecal. The liver was natural. The bowels also, making allowances for changes after death. Partly from the history of the case, partly from my own observations, and partly from the post mortem examination — and while tho lapse of a fortnight after death before the post mortem examination was performed throws some degree of uncertainty over the conclusions arrived at— l think there is a fair amount of probability for the opinion that this child met with its death from inQanimation of the brain and it membranes, arising from natural causes, and leading to effusion of fluid on the brain. Tin's fluid might be expected after the lapse of a fortnight to soften and mix with the brain, and give ifc the semiliquid appearance I have named with respect to the appearances of the dura mater. I wish to suggest, not from authority, but from my own knowledge of physiology, that so far as congestion in the brain was owing to inflammation, it was an evidence that the inflammation of the brain and its membranes had begun a considerable time before the child got the dose of medicine in question, for I consider that at least twenty-fourhours,and probably more, must have been required for inflammation to extend to the dura matur from an internal cause, whether disease or a draught. The dilated state of the pupils of the eyes has, I think, an important bearing on the question as to what was the cause of the child's illness and death, for opium being the only medicine known to have been administered, and the effects of opium being to contract the pupils, at all events until a short time before death, if it appears by other evidence that the child survived for several hours after I saw him, I should consider the circumstance as showing conclusively that death was not owing to the effects of that drug. To a Juror : It would take twenty-four hours for the inflammation to reach the dura mater, I have no knowledge of the amount of the dose given. An over dose of opium might produce congestion, and possibly inflammation. To the Coroner : The only symptoms described to me by the nurse were convulsions and jerking. To a Juror : I tasted the medicine twice whilst I was in the house ; the taste of opium was distinct. To the Coroner: I requested Mr. Tatton to make me a solution of the same strength as that which Dr. Vickerman said he had administered ; the taste was similar. The most probable reason why the children were affected by convulsions and jerkings was the change in the mother's milk, and the sleep caused by the opium. I have reason to believe the mother is affected by brain disease. To a Juror : If I had been present when the children were born, I should havo thought the weakly child's life was not worth a week's purchase. To the Coroner : I should call the dose given a full one. To a Juror : Knowing all the circumstances I do now, from making the post mortem examination, &c, I consider the child died from natural causes, and not from the effects of the drug. To the Coroner : It would lessou the chances of a child's recovery, to administer laudanum whilst suferiug from inflammation of the brain. If the child died shortly after I saw him, I should think he had died from the effects of the drug, but if it lived for several hours after, I should feel certain ifc died from natural causes. Charles Edward Cotterell, being sworn, said : I am a duly qualified and registered medical practitionor, and assisted Dr. Irvine in a post-mortem examination on the 16th of May. I have heard Dr. Irvine's evidence, and concur with him in his evidence as regards the j;os£-wor£ent examination. From the advanced slate of decomposition of the body, I do not feel myself in a position to state whether the child died from natural causes or not, and

know nothing of the case further than what I have heard in evidence. Prom the state of the body Ido not think the child died from atrophy. I consider a drop of laudanum a dangerous dose for a child of that age, although it might be given in many in- ! stances without causing death. At this stage of the proceedings the Foreman announced to the Coroner that the jury were unanimous in their decision that the children had died from natural causes, and therefore it was unnecessary to examine any more witnesses. The Coroner, however, decided to hear the other witnesses. Eoberfc Pickefct, being sworn, said : lam Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. I registered~the deaths of Francis James and Ernest Hawkins on the 3rd of May. I received a certificate of death, signed by Dr. Vickerman, certifying that the children had died from atrophy. Anne Blythe, being sworn, said : My husband's name is Mark Blythe, malster. I was with Mrs. Hawkins during her confinement. My daughter Sarah nursed. She had two fits during her confinement, and again on the following Tuesday night, on which night I went in to see her. Dr. Vickerman was there, and he was not sober ; he tripped and fell on the bed, and hurt Mrs. Hawkins' hand, but did not hurt the children. The children began ailing on Thursday following. The smaller child was on that day taken ill with pain in the stomach. Tho mother was suckling the children. On Sunday morning I was called in to see the children, my daughter sayiug she thought they were dying. I took the youngest, and saw it was dying ; the mother was nursing the other. Dr. Irvine was then sent for, and before he arrived the youngest one died ; the other one died at halfpast nine o'clock at night. Sarah Blythe, being sworn, said: I am a nurse, and reside in South-street. I attended Mrs. Hawkins during her confinement, on Monday. She had fits during her confinement. The smaller child was taken ill on the following Thursday. It seemed to be suffering from the gripes; the other child seemed similarly affected. On the Saturday following Dr. Yickerman saw them, and sent some medicine, which was to be given to both children. I gave them each a dose at twelve o'clock the same night. I did not see them again that night. About half-past seven the following morning I saw them again. The smaller one was stiff, and the other black in the face. They were catching their breath about every ten minutes. I put them into a warm bath. At about twelve o'clock the smaller one died, and the other at half-past nine o'clock at night. Dr. Irvine was sent for, but did not arrive until tho smaller one was dead. He or- i dered sherry and beef tea for the other one. The jury retired for a quarter of an hour, and then gave the following verdict : — " The jury are unanimously of opinion, that the children Francis James Hawkins and Ernest Hawkins died from natural causes." The delay in giving the verdict arose from a desire often of the jurymen to append a rider to the verdict, that the inquest was unnecessary.