A WOMAN'S DEATH.

Otago Witness, Issue 3021, 7 February 1912, Page 53

A WOMAN'S DEATH.

ILLEGAL OPERATION ALLEGED. CHRISTCHURCH, January 31. The inquest was resumed this afternoon on Christina Caroline Elstob, a married woman, who died on Saturday. Dr W. H. Simpson, who held a post mortem examination, announced at the opening of. to-day's proceedings that death was due to heart failure, but that there were signs of an attempt to procure abortion.

Dr Jessie C. Maddison stated that she attended Mrs Elstob at 8 a.m. on Saturday, and deceased showed symptoms of heart failure, but was conscious and able to speak. A miscarriage had recently occurred. Witness applied restoratives, but Mrs Elstob died at 10.15 a.m. Witness gave a certificate to the effect that death was due to syncope. In/ answer to the coroner, witness said she did not suspect any criminal abortion, and as she knew Mrs Elstob had heart disease she -thought that any undue strain might have caused the symptoms. The Coroner said the body was in a shocking state, and it is a very dangerous thing to give a certificate in a case like this when you don't know the cause of the miscarriage. The witness continued, and said that Mrs Elstob did ' not attempt to tell her anything about any interference, and there was nothing to suggest a predisposition to miscarriage. The Coroner stated that there was no shadow of doubt that there was criminal abortion, but the question was when and by whom was it caused? It was a strange fact that though three doctors had attended, the woman information had reached him through an outsider, and the information had been amply proved by the post mortem examination, and therefore Dr Maddison's certificate had been ignored. Dr Maddison: "People hold their tongues to the doctors and speak to other people." Concluding, witness said that Mrs Elstob had not mentioned any other doctor. Dr Borrie stated that he had examined Mrs- Elstob a fortnight before her death. At 2.30 a.m. on Saturday he attended her, and she stated having had a miscarriage. To the Coroner: He did not have any suspicion as to the cause of miscarriage. ■ Joseph Henry Elstob, husband of deceased, stated that in December deceased said she expected another child, but expressed her determination not to have one. Witness advised her to go to Dr Borrie. but she mentioned Dr C. J. Russell, to whom she had gone alone on a previous day. His wife did not say that Dr Russell refused to do anything for her without witness's consent, and witness accompanied his wife to Dr Russell and told him that he (witness) would not agree to anything being done to his wife if it were anything serious. Dr Russell said it was nothing to gee anxious about, and told witness's wife to see him again the following evening between 6 and 7 o'clock, and next evening she left the house presumably to keep the appointment, and returned in threequarters of an hour, and said the doctor had given her some stuff to take and had told her to get a bottle of medicine from him to prevent her from having any more children. As far as witness knew there ■were no more visits. Other witnesses gave evidence as to Mrs Elstob telling them that she had been to see Dr Russell. The Coroner recorded an open verdict that death was due to septicaemia caused by an illegal operation. Chief Detective Bishop intimated that the police would make full and search, irig inquiries into the whole matter.