DEATH OF A CHILD.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1923, Page 2

DEATH OF A CHILD.

DUE TO DRINKING ALCOHOL. TEASPOONFULS FATAL. Christchurch, April 13. The case of a child, four years of age, who died of nephritis (kidney disease) apparently caused by drinking a small quantity of schnapps was investigated to-day by Mr. Willbwson, district coroner.’ Deceased was an adopted child, and resided with Arthur Horne, tramway employee. The inquest, was opened on March 29th. when Horn' l ., in evidence, said the child had apparently drunk some schnapps that witness had left in a glass in his bedroom. The amount in the glass was not more than two teaspoonfuis. During the day the child took ill, Dr. Guthrie was sent for. and he ordered the child to be removed to. the hospital, where it died at 11.30 o’clock that night. To-day Dr. A. R. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital, gave evidence of the post mortem examination he had made. The cause of death was acidosis, due to nephritis. He understood the child had taken a quantity of alcohol. He was not aware of the quantity taken, but in his opinion the nephritis was probably due to alcohol. However, this would depend on the quantity taken and whether the child was accustomed to taking alcohol. The coroner: The evidence is that the child did not take more than two teaspoonfuls of schnapps, and the analysis made by Mr. Bickerton, Government analyst, showed that, between one and three grains of alcohol had been found in the stomach. In reply to a question from the coroner Mr. Bickerton said one to three grains of alcohol could be got out of two teaspoonfuls of full strength schnapps. LEFT IN A GLASS. The coroner (to Horne): ( “Was it full strength schnapps! —Yes. Was the child in the habit, of taking alcohol? —No. I have no recollection of him ever touching any before. Are you sure it was only two teaspoonfuls he took? —To the best of my knowledge that was all. Is it not possible you left a whole tablespoonful in the glass? —It is possible that I did. The coroner: To my mind the amount of alcohol the child is said to have taken could not have brought about the condition of the body revealed by the post mortem examination. Dr. Pearson: The form of the alcohol taken is important. I am of opinion that if the quantity of undiluted schnapps taken approached a tablespoonful, it would have produced the condition I found. Mary Ellen Horne said the child had been well looked after, and up to the day of his death enjoyed good health. 'The hottie of schnapps was kept in the pantry, and the child could not have got at it. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical evidence. The coroner said that from the evidence it appeared to him that death was due to the fact that a child four years of age took the remains of a glass of schnapps, probably a tablespoonful. The evidence of Dr. Pearson and Mr. Bickerton showed, unfortunately, this suantity could produce the condition to which the child came and from which it died. It only showed how careful people should be not to leave about things injurious to children. He was not blaming Horne for it was quite an accident that the child took the schnapps.