DEATH OF MISS KITCHEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13452, 31 May 1907, Page 7

DEATH OF MISS KITCHEN.

CONCLUSION OF THE INQUEST ACUTE SEPTICEMIA OF BUBONIC NATURE. The inquest concerning the death of Minnie Kitchen, 15 years of age, who resided in Tararua Terrace, Parnell, and who died on the 12th Inst, of acute septicaemia, was concluded at* the Windsor Castle Hotel, Parnell, yesterday. The city Coroner (Mr. T Gresham) conducted the inquest, before ./jury of six. Sergeant Moore appeared for the police, and Mr. Basley for the relatives of the deceased. Dr. de Clivc Lowe, recalled at the request of Mr. Basley, said that, he'had had no previous experience in the post-mortem of plague cases. He had, however, seen plague in Calcutta. He still would say there was no discolouration due to extraction of the tooth. There was, in fact, no discolouration other than the general discolouration, except a bruising of the tissues over "the swollen glands on the right femoral region caused by the examination made by the medical men. before death. Post-mortem lividity was well marked. The extracts, from Mrs. Kitchen evidence read by Mr. Basley gave a pretty accurate description of the conditions presenting themselves in a death by plague. Nothing would ever alter his opinion that the death was due to bubonic plague, of the septicemia variety. r Dr. Ferguson, recalled by Mr. Basley, said that there was no special discolouration or mottling. Dr. J. S. Purdy, district health officer, said that on the 12th, at half-past nine p.m., Drs, Lindsay and Ferguson gave him particulars of the death of the girl Kitchen. They declined to give a certicate as to the cause of death, and request-

Ed him to view the body, as the symptoms

were suggestive of plague. He went to the deceased's house, and made a careful examination of the body. There was no evidence of any slough in the socket of the tooth whence the extraction had taken place. The glands on caeh side of the neck could be felt like a chain of buttons. He told Mrs. Kitchen that the girl had died of acute septicaemia of a virulent type. He gave instructions as to precautions that would have to be taken. On the 13tli, at half-past one p.m., he attended the post-mortem examination, which was conducted by Dr. Lowe, in conjunction with Drs. Lindsay and Ferguson. He! took blood from the right ventricle of the heart, from which he made several smears! on glass slides, as he also did from the! spleen. Amongst other'things he made J six cultures. On returning to the laboratory after straining the smears, he found the typical bacilli of bubonic plague and no other organism. Although he had no hesitation 'ii declaring the case to be one of bubonic plague, he carried out the usual tests, winch absolutely proved his belief. s,A female guinea-pig was inoculated with part of the largest femoral gland. He also made - several other cultures. That was

at six p.m. on Monday, the 13th. On the following day, at five p.m., ' the six .uitures made direct from the body all showed the bacilli pestis with typical • -.stainings. The guinea-pig died 50 hours ifter inoculation. The spleen in the guineapig, as in the actual case of Miss Kitchen, was enlarged and. friable. The spleen, 1 glands, and blood taken from this animal all showed bacilli pestis, and that the guinea-pig lip.d died from plague. , Cultures made, from the spleen and glands of the pig deduced an absolutely pure growth of bacilli pestis, > vA*, second • guinea-pig, inoclilat'sd'Troiii'' t'iie f cultures of tiie first, died five days after inoculation. . Smears and pure cultures taken'"'.from the second guinea-pig showed that it also had died from bubonic plague. . There, was absolutely no doubt as to the bacilli, as not only- did they show the typical staining on reaction, but they did , not stain by the method known to bacteriologists as the "gram." ; With these tests the chain of evidence was complete. The postmortem did not demonstrate a grain of , pus, even in the tooth hollow. , Questioned, Dr. Purdy said lie had had two years' experience in Egypt, under one of the greatest authorities.- He had.been present at 110 post-mortems in a week. Plague, was equally present in this case as much as in any lie had seen. As a matter of justice, he thought he should touch upon the early, stages of the present case. It reflected great credit upon Dr. Ferguson that ho should have been able even to suspect when he did the present case of plague. The buboes do not appear until just prior to death. The incubation period of plague was from two to eight days. Dr. Ferguson, or any other medical man, would have been a fool to have said on the Friday that this girl was suffering from plague. It was decidedly ■ creditable to Dr. Ferguson that lie should . even have regarded this case as suspicious of plague at the time he did. It was all very well for those who had seen the post-mor-tem to say that it was a case of plague. A Juror: Have we the right to ask how this girl got the plague? Dr. Purdy: I am not a prophet, or the son. of a prophet, but I have an opinion. I believe it originated from Bradford Buildings. i I tell you we carted 48 loads of filth from this place, which was a regular run for rats. A dead rat was found in the building during the week. This rat died of plague. It is only fair to the relations .of deceased to say that I could find nothing wrong with the sanitary conditions of the house. I sympathise with the relatives, arid it was painful for me to have to take the steps I did. A Juror: Is it detrimental to health to have poultry in one's yard? • Dr. Purdy : I have suggested that fowls should not bo kept within 10yds of a dwelling, or syds of a public road. I can t, however, say that fowls suffer from plague. A Juror: There was a good deal of discontent about the removal of this girl! Dr. Purdy: Dr. Mason and I drew the attention of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board to this fact. I think the hospital authorities should personally look after the ambulance, and keep it at the hospital. They should also provide a nurse to travel in the ambulance with patients.

Dr. Purdy went on to say that the predisposing cause of plague was filth, and general insanitary conditions. Plague was generated from bacilli , pestis, and in dirt the bacilli would lie dormant for months. Fours hous' exposure to the sun would kill the bacilli. As soon as a rat died the fleas would leave it and carry with them plague. Petroleum was the best means of getting rid of fleas. - A Juror: The plague might have been transferred from Sydney to Auckland by rats?

_ Dr. Purely: It may have come from Sydney, 'Frisco, or Calcutta, while it is possible it might have been generated here. I, however, consider that Auckland will never have a severe visitation. It.was just unfortunate that Parnell should be saddled •,with plague. The Coroner: What do you decide as the Cause of death in this case? vi'. Purdy : Bubonic plague.

A BACTERIOLOGIST'S VIEWS. n^ 1 "' Makgill, bacteriologist for the Public Health Department, confirmed the evidence given by Dr. Purdie. He had examined all the cultures, and there was no organism found that might be associated with the deceased's dental trouble. He had examined a rat found in Bradford Buildings, and a post-mortem had disclosed the presence in the rat of the organisms of plague. _ In October, 1902, there was an epidemic of mortality among the rats and mice in that building, but they had failed then to demonstrate plague. Plague had appeared in •Auckland in six consecutive • years. Since ' J'-y. 1901, this was the fifth manifestation 'A P' a gue. They had never had more than "fee cases at a time. This would probably continue until the public bodies cleared

I away sonic of the breeding places of plague —which were to be found in the lower part of Queen-street and other places. In every case of plague but owe the victims had been working in the lower end of Queen-street. It was possible that the plague had been introduced to Auckland. , . In answer to a juror, Dr. Makgill said that it was possible for pneumonic plague to be transmitted to those attending a victim. Bubonic plague was mostly inoculated by a ilea or a bug. , A Juror: Do you know of any case ol plague occurring through the expectoration of a victim? " ,'"■ , ' ... Dr. Makgili: It would perhaps be possible in the case of pneumonic plague for a person to inhale it. , ' . , ~ The Coroner: What is the cause of death in this case? , , , Dr. Makgill: Bubonic plague of the septicemia type. I might say that Ido not think there will .be any big outbreak ill Auckland. The habits of the people, and the distribution of the population, are not likely to induce it. It is,' however, quite likelv that it will go on appearing until the public bodies become more particular about the sanitary conditions. there is a tendenev to act the ostrich, here, and for people Ito bury their heads. It would be better if people recognised the plague and faced it The Foreman: I think things are cleaner n °l)r. Makgili: They are no doubt better than was the case six years,ago. Mr Baslev, who had previously notified that evidence would be called in connection with the discolouration of the jaw on the side the tooth was extracted from the deceased, said that the relatives did not wish now to call that evidence. this course they had taken in view of the emphatic medical evidence. , " ' The jury, after half-an-liour s retirement, returned a verdict of death from acute septicaemia, of a bubonic nature. This verdict was signed by five out of the six jurymen. The sixth juryman would not sign unless the word "plague' was introduced.