INQUEST

Otago Witness, Issue 3244, 17 May 1916, Page 7

INQUEST

MRS LAWSON'S DEATH. An inquest was held by Mr J. XI. Bartholomew, >S.M., on Saturday morning concerning the death of Mrs Betsy Lawson, aged 'Vi years, who died the previous morning after about a week's illness. Sergeant M'Keefry represented the police. George Lawson, bootmaker, deposed that his wife's general health had been very fair until a fortnight ago, when she seemed to get influenza. On the previous Sunday she took to her bed. She had been going to Mr D. Wishart for minor ailments for some timo previous, and ho came to see her after the Sunday, left some medicine, and continued to attend her until Thursday. On Tuesday they rang up lor Dr Fitzgerald, but he could not then come. Deceased had every confidence in Mr Wishart, who said she was getting on well on tho Thursday. At 6 o'clock on Friday morning witness thought she was sleeping. She was very quiet, but there was a rattle Li the throat from phlegm. Witness let in tho daylight, and saw she was sinking rapidly. By the time he had got his daughter deceased was quite still. They rang up for Mr Wishart and told him deceased was dead. Mr Wishart would not believe it, and declined to come, advising them to ring up Dr Stephenson. Dp till Thursday night they had thought that there was very little wrong with deceased. Mr Wishart had attended her previously fur indigestion and for a slight lump on the breast, for which sb/J was taking medicine right up to this last illness. Replying to Sergeant M'Keefry, witness stated that ho was under the impression that Mr Wishart was a qualified man; otherwise ho did not think ho would have engaged him. Had he known the deceased's condition was serious he would have called in a doctor. Lilian Irene Lawson, daughter cf deceased, said she thought her mother had been. recommended to go to Mr Wishart by someone whom he had cured. She knew Mr Wishart was not a doctor, but thought him qualified in his line. Deceased seemed to be much better since Mr Wishart had treated her. On Monday or Tuesday morning deceased asked her to ring up Mr Wishart, which she did, and he came at half-past 10 in the morning. He took deceased's temperature, told them to keep her warm, and stated that he thought she had slight congestion. Ho left medicine and instructions, which were followed out. He came again next morning, altered tho medicine and Jed witness to understand that deceased was a little better. During the day he used to ring up, and deceased had said that he was very attentive. Mr Wishart led witness to understand that the trouble was not serious, otherwise she would have obtained a trained nurse. Mr Wishart at no time sounded deceased. He rang up on tho Thursday evening, and witness informed him that her mother could not sleep. Ho told her to apply cold towels to tho head, which she did. At 6.40 on Friday morning witness's father came downstairs and said her mother was dying. She went upstairs, and found life extinct. When she rang up Mr Wishart and told him, he replied that it was nonsense, and that she did not know what she was talking about. She asked him to como at once, and ho replied that he could not come, and to ring up Dr Stephenson and got him. Dr Stephenson was.called in', and pronounced her mother dead; that seemingly she had had pneumonia. Ho also stated that Wishart should have told them of deceased's condition. He said perhaps Mr Wishart had not understood the case, and that he should have called in assistance. Witness had asked her mother if she should not call in another doctor, but she had said "No, I have every faith in Mr Wishart. Ho seems to be making me better." In her last illness deceased complained of severe pains in her left side, and she could not rest because of the gurgle in her throat. Tho pain got better. Mr Wishart had never asked that a doctor should be called in. Wesley Bratt, Methodist minister, residing at Lawoon's, stated that on Thursday deceased had seemed to think that she would lie up in a few days. She said she was be ing well looked alter by her daughter and Mr Wishart. David Wishart said ho was a consulting homceopathist, and in reply to questions put by the Coroner said ho advised people who were ill and diseased. He did not put any limitations on the cases he treated. He had studied at the Missouri Homoeopathic College, in St. Louis, U.S.A., but he had no degree. His health had failed him. He had studied for six months, but he had read for about 10 yeara before under the guidance of the late Dr Wandess, a medical men who had graduated and been converted to homoeopathy. lie had treated deceased since September last tor indigestion, and for a swollen gland on the breast. When called in on Tuesday morning he found Mrs Lawson suffering from all tho symptoms of congestion of the Rings. To relieve the congestion and pain he prescribed for tho patient. By Wednesday morning the intense pain in the left side was entirely subjugated. As there was much rattling of mucus in the lungs and bronchia he prescribed a different medicine, and was informed over tho telephone that it had been relieved. On Thursday morning tho patient said she felt weak, but was steadily improving. The weakness ho attributed to a. natural periodic condition. The temperature had fallen, and sputum was being raised, and there was no indications to point to a sudden or fatal termination. Mrs Lawson had remarked to him "1 shall be uo to see you next week." He could not account for tho collapse of tho patient, except from heart failure. He had treated congestion of the lungs scores of times, and never once failed. Jt was his daughter who, answering Miss Lawson over the telephone, had said " Nonsense, child." Witness's reason for refusing to go was that he had advised them to send for Dr Stephenson. His reason for wishing to transfer the matter to Dr Stephenson was that he could not do anything. Ho

considered tho condition of the patient seri- j ous, but not alarming. In examining the patient he did not use a stethoscope. He j put his car to tho-chest. The falling of | the temperature, and tho allaying of tho I pain might have been due to another cause | than improvement. The actual state of | the lungs could be determined by other j moans than tho stethoscope—by the ear. | A gradually falling temperature dixy by day | was a good indication. Tho Coroner: Do ' you think everything ! possible was done for tho patient that could ! have boon done?—Yes, under homoeopathy. I Continuing his replies to questions, wit- j ness said if ho found a case getting beyond i his skill he advised that a cioctor be called in. To Sergeant M'Keefry: Witness know perfectly well that Dr Stephenson would j not givo a certificate. To the Coroner: He did not go to see the patient because ho could not do anything. Dr Roberts saiel he had examined the chest of deceased, and found severe pleurisy of the left side, consolidation of the upper half of the left lung, constituting pneumonia, and pericarditis of the membrane of the heart. The cause of death was heart failure from toxaemia. The case was clearly ono of pneumonia with pleurisy and pain—which latter disappeared after a timo when tho consolidation of the lungs was completed, but returning towards the end of an illness when tho lung was recovering. Tho pericarditis was a danger always to be feared. Judging from the post mortem appearance the condition of deceased was a very grave one, Nothing had been said about the character of the pulse, which was very important. The- comparatively low febrile temperature was an indication that tho constitutional resistance was weak. Tho symptoms of bacterial poisoning were sometimes accompanied by an apparent state of well-being, which might deceive the inexperienced. The area of the infection should be gathered by stethoseopic examination of the chest, ono of the chief values of the stethoscope being the exact location and extent of an internal lesion. This could bo roughly determined by tho ear. With the conditions present, which would have been revealed by tho stethoscope, any case of tho kind must have been regarded as highly dangerous. The cessation of pain was merely tho sequence of the disease, and to imagine that it could bo attributed to a drug was quite wrong. David Wishart, recalled, said he had taken tho pulse every morning. It was rather lower than might bo expected in such a condition. He did not take- tho number of pulsations. Dr Roberts said it seemed remarkable that there should bo pericarditis, pneumonia, and pleurisy, without marked acceleration of the pulse; and continuing, said that the medical treatment, alter diagnosis of tho conditions c-xisting hero, would bo stimulation of the heart and keeping up tho strength generally. Ho did not think that tho patient's death had been accelerated in any way by the treatment, or by any want of treatment, deceased had received. If a qualified medical man had been in attendance he thought tho ultimate end would have been the same. Tho Coroner returned a verdict that death was due to cardiac failure, duo to toxaemia. In this case deceased had not been attended by a medical man, but by Mr Wishart, who claimed to bo a homoeopath ist, It was evident that ho had not realised tho gravity of the case when called in, had thought the caso was getting on nicely, and had so informed the daughter. The evidence of Dr Roberts showed that if a stothoscopio examination of tho chest had been made it would have disclosed the location and extent of the lesion, and the gravity of tho case. It would be a comfort to the family to know that, in Dr Roberts's opinion, tho treatment had not affected the final result. It was unfortunate that tho family had believed tho patient was receiving the qualified medical treatment she should have had in her condition. It seemed to him that Mr Wishart assumed to deal with matters somewhat beyond him. In tho present caso, however, the result would have been the same.