WOMAN’S DEATH

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20850, 5 October 1937, Page 10

WOMAN’S DEATH

FINDING AT INQUEST Blood poisoning following infection after childbirth was the cause of the death of Mrs Ivy Iris Audrey Gillum, of Temuka, who died at Timaru on June 16, said the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, when he delivered his verdict at the adjourned inquest yesterday morning. Witnesses at the previous hearing said that deceased, who gave birth to a female child on May 28, appeared to be in perfect health when she returned home on June 5. On June 14 she complained of pains in the back and in the breast. A doctor was communicated with and he attended the patient on June 15, when he ordered her removal to hospital at Timaru. Her death occurred the following morning. A postmortem examination was held, but the authorities were unable to ascertain anything that would give them a basis upon which to determine with any amount of certainty the cause >f death. Certain of the organs of deceased were therefore submitted to Dr. A. B Pearson, pathologist, Christchurch, for examination. The general history of the case indicated that there was infection or blood poisoning, said Dr. Pearson this morning. He admitted that it was unusual for blood poisoning to occur so late after childbirth, but that it was not impossible. From his examination and the reports of the Timaru medical witnesses there was no doubt that the evidence pointed to internal infection. The evidence precluded the possibility of infection having been introduced from outside. No mention had been made in the report of the post-mortem of infiamation of the breast, and he felt that had there been acute inflamation it would have been forced on the doctors performing the post-mortem. It was possible that the breast had responded to fever. “From the history of the case and my examination I would say that the probable cause of death was blood poisoning following infection coming on after childbirth,” said Dr. Pearson, after the coroner had read to him the evidence given by the witnesses at the previous hearing. It was with the assistance of the evidence given by the previous witnesses that he was able to come »o that conclusion, he said.