INQUEST.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 650, 6 October 1882, Page 2

INQUEST.

An inquest was held on Wednesday afternoon at Uk> C)irt Irlonse, Aic.iru.i, on the i>ody oi" John Libeau, an infant, w;!>> died su.lddiny tha /n>r i.ig. Mr Ayiniur, coroner for t'lv- pr.ssidod. and Mr V. V. .•; :si-ti.jld was chosen foreman of the jury.

The folltwi-jg evidence was taken : —

Jowphino Broeher. swovn. siiiil : I am ! wife, of Eti"!in<i B-ocher. Deceased \v*s ' my ni-oliew, and the non of Julia Libeau, ■hi idiot. II.: was an illegii'iii-ite cbiwl. and was hum on the 10th of September lu>t a strong child when born, but was very small. The child \v,:s taken from the mother (she being an idiot) and fed on milk and water. I noticed nothing much the mailer with the child during the last week. It did not drink much, and slept a good deal. It did not take ils usual foot. It did not seem really ill, however, til! 9 a.m. to- day, when I foumi it very cold, and sent for the doctor. The doctor cnine and the child died during his visit. I have kept the child in my bedroom since it was born. It has only been out of it once or twice, into the kitchen. I was the sole attendant on the riiilii. I kept it alwiyp in bed, day and night. I 'nave two of my own children, the youngest iu'ing 2 ye :s and 8 months old, an I I Ind them also to attend to ; and also t<> cook for five men .uid my sister, besides th.i children. 1 give the child as iniuh attention as I could.

By til-.; Jury : No one elsu g.ive the (•'nil:! anything. It was not a cros-t child. 1 have no one to help me with tho houso work.

FiM'K'is Elliot. Corbet Riu:.'lvton, sw.im, said: I am a duly tmaiili-d in-dim' pracluioner. I was called at ten this lU'.irniiur to see an inf..in at tho bouse of Joseph Li beau. 1 found the child at the point of death. child died in a few minutes in my prosence. I have m ule a post mortem examination of the body. The body was that of a small child, very badly nourished, it being a mere skeleton of skin and bone. The toe nails were hnr.lly formed, and did not rua -b to the end of the toes. The testicles were not quite destendbd into the scrotum, though they were clear of the inguinal canal. Tuere wore no marks of violence on the hotly, thoti»b the scrotum was excoriated. On opening the chest, the lungs were found lo be very voluminous, as if the chest was too sin ,ii for them. TIK-y floated in water. There was no inflammation, but the lungs were exceedingly bronchiiic, an.l emphysematous. The lie.irt was full of dark blood. Ibe abdomen was then opened. The iiver w>is hcilthy. The stomach w;\s opened and contained a little curdled milk, but was very pal>\ The in testines were very pale, otherwise healthy. No other organs were examined. From the foregoing examination I am of opinion that the child was a premature child, probably seven months, that it died of an acute attack of bronchitis. lam of opinion also th.it the child bad not a suitable food, in that it was not suckled at the breast.

Tliitj conc'uded the evidence and the jury, after eonsu'iUiio.i, returned a verdict of death from natural causes.