DEATH OF AN INFANT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13927, 12 June 1907, Page 7

DEATH OF AN INFANT

THE INQUEST.

An inquest was held by Mr C. C. (haham, coroner, and a jury of six (Mr K. Dickison being chosen foreman) yesterday afternoon concerning the death ot nn infant nurned George Edward Campbell. Georco Peter Campbell, miller, raid ho waa the fathar of the deceased child, which was born on tho Bth ins!.. Tho mother wns attended by Mrs Hrown, a certificated midV>lc The child woa strong and healthy at Jts birth, and was nursed by the mollior. Mrs Brown did not slay in the house all the time, but came on Sunday morning and ng&in in tho evening, when everything seemed fo bo going all right. The child nlept with Its mother, witness occupying the eame b«d. At 10 p.m. on Sunday witness went to bed, nnd everything was then right. When witness •went to work on the Monday morning tho child sKmed to be Bleeping peacefully beside its niother. Ho heard of nothing being wrong until he returned at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Witneaa thought the child itas sleeping when he left in the morning, Elira Kilp»trick, mother of Mrs Campbell, uepossed that the child waa not light from ita birth. It was dark-looking, and did not seem to breath properly. Tbo nurse (Mrs Brown) B«d it would como all right in a few days. Witness came into the houee about a quarter past 8 on Monday morning, and the baby though warm, looked sa if it was dead. It did not seem to be breathing. 'Witness eont for a Mrs Baxter, who rubbed the child with oil, but did not succeed in restoring life. Witness then Mnt for Mts Hrown, and left, believing tho child was dead. Witnese saw blood on the child's mother's nightdress, and was told that it hod come from tho child's nose. Witness noticed blood on the child's Jiose afterwards. There waa nei sipi of tho child having lwn overlain. Elizabeth Brown, certificated midwife, fitalwl that sho attended Mra Campbell. Everything wont all right. The child wna lull-grown and well developed, but the head was dark-looking, Witness saw- the child twice on Sunday, and was called in on Monday morning. She came at a quarter to 10, and the child then seemed dead, though it was warm. Wiln-ows lifted the child, and the noeo Wed freely. She rubbed the child well with oil and hot water, and the nose stopped bleeding, hut witness never paw the child breathe. Prior to this she sent for Dr Evans, and waited until he cam<;.

Dγ Evans efafed that he went to Mi's Campbell's about a quarter past 10 on Monday morning. The child woe lying in flie col, and was quite dead. The skin of the face mid elii-M were bluish-black in colour, tlio lips of a purpjo colour the pupils of the eyes were dilated, and there were evidences of bleeding from the mouth and , uose. Witness made a post-mprkm examination, and found .both lungs were very congested. There was blood-stained froth in the windpipe, and lienmiorliages on the surface o! the liing and also of tho heart. The remaining organs were congested. 'Witness was of opinion the child died of suffocation. The slightest prcssuro would do this. Whether it was due to overlying or not witness could not say. Witness expressed the opinion that it was exceedingly dangerous for a , child to sleep iu the same I>k] as its parents; which was a thing that should bo discouraged by all certificated midlives.

Tho Coroner thought the jury could come to no other conclusion than that the child had died of suffocation, but from which cau?o it w»s impossible to eey. Ho strongly condemned parents taking nn infant like deceased into the bed with them, and pointed out the extreme risk of eq doing. Midwives, be thought, should be warned on the subject by their examiners when (hey wore undergoing examination.

A verdict wan rotnrned that the causo of death was suffocation, hut that (hero was not sufficient evidence to show how suffocation WBB brought about.