INQUEST.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1108, 7 January 1885, Page 3

INQUEST.

An inquest touching the death of the Rev. W. Jenner was held in the Courthouse on the 31st ult., before J. N. Wood, Esq., District Coroner, and a jury of twelve, of which Mr Alex. M'Nicol was chosen foreman. The, following evidence was given s — '; Agnes B. Jenner deposed that she was the widow of (the deceased. Her late husband went to the train with the object of proceeding to Dunedin on the previous morning. He came back shortly after the train left at 6.30 a.m.' He said he came back as he had violent pains in his stomach. He lay down upon the bed, but she persuaded him to undress and go to bed. She advised him to take some pill p, which he did. He said that he might sleep. She covered him up and ' went out of th.c room. She afterwards offered to make him some tea, but he said that! he .could not take it. She made him some ginger tea, but he did not drink it. She had 'known him to have oolio before. He said he was getting cold, an < asked her to go for the doctor. She called in Dr Withers,! who recommended her to give her husband some hot brandy, and to put a hot mustard poultice to his stomach, which, she did. He complained that the poultice was him worse, and witness took it

off. He then vomited a small quantity of bile. Shortly afterwards he appeared to take some kind of faint or fit. She tben sent for Dr Blair, who pronounced her husband dead. \ David Blair, medical practitioner, residing at Lawrence, deposed that ho was 'jailed by Mr Joseph, shortly after twelve o'clock noon on the previous clay, to see Mr Jennar. He went as quickly as he could, and when he arrived at the manse he found Mr Jenner dead. In accordance with instructions received he made a post mortem examination in company with Dr Withers that day. They found all the o guns comparatively healthy. The left side of Ihe heart was full of dark fluid blood. The immediate cause of death was syncope or failure of the heart's action ; but what led to the syncope they were unab'e to state. They had preserved the stomach and liver. They found nothing wrong with the heart. Robert Withers, mediialpracfilioner, Lawrence, deposed that he was called in ah about 10 a.m. on the previous day by Mrs Jenner to see Mr Jenner, whom she stutcd to be very ili. He arrived five minutes afterwards and found Mrs Jenner crjing, stating that Mr Jenuer had said tint he thought he was going to die. He went into the bedroom and found Mr Jenner Ijing in bed looking calm ; but replied in a very weak voice to his (the doctor's) questions. He asked whpn Mr Jenner was first taken ill, and was informrd that he took ill that morning, but had not been quite well over night— hod had cramps in the stomach, anJ had vomited what Mr.* Jenner considered bile, but which he did not see. While at the bedside, Mr Jenner had an attack of cramp in the stomach, but not very severe. His extremefies were rather cold, and his pulse weak though uot extremely so. He examiued his chest nnd found nothing wrong with his lungs ; but 011 listening to his heart, witness thought he heard sounds which would indicate disease. Resolved upon warning him when he got better to avoid any violent exertion. He had attended Mr Jen-ier (hree years before for rheumatic fever. Heart disease was liable to follow as a complication, so that it seemed probable that heart-disease might have developed since. He did not attach any special importance to the indications at, the time. He looked upon the case as one of colic, and made inquiries as to what food had been taken. 1! c seemed to have taken nothing indigestible, except some fruit on the urevious evening. As he seemed to be suffering from Borne degree of collapse, he (the doctor) recommended B'.imulan'.s, hot bottles to his feet, and a hot mustard poultii-e to his stomach. He prescribed a stimulating and sedative mixture, of which one dose had been taken. One do3e would contain 15 drops of solution of opium, 30 drops of spirits of ammonia, 30 drops of tincture of ginger, 1 drachm of tincture of rhubarb, and a little water. He informed Mr Jenner that, he had to go to Waitahuna, but would call again immediately ou his return. He considered Mr Jenner ill, but not dangerously so. On hearbg cf his death, witness at once concluded that it had probably resulted from sjneope, a mode of death common in acute diseases of the stomach or bowels, to which he concluded Mr Jenner must have been specially prone. He as isted Dr Blair at the postmortem. They found no outward marks of violence or injury. On opening Ihe body, they found the venous system engorged with dark fluid blood. r Jhe lung* were adherent to the chest walls from old pleurisy, but otherwise apparently healthy. The heart was flabby and not contracted", and the left side full of fluid bbod, this being an ind;calion of death by syncope. The other organs appeared healt .y. The stomach was distended with fluid. The brain was healthy, but also engorged with venous blood. There was nothing in ihe appearance of the internal organs to explain the cause of death by syncope. The fluid state of the blood and the eng.rged state of the venous system were somewhat unu-ual. This being all the evidence, Ihe jury returned the following verdict :— " That the deceased came to his death by sjneope ; but there was no evidence to show what waß tho immediate cause thereof.''^