UNKNOWN ORIGIN OF DEATH.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18362, 21 April 1925, Page 5

UNKNOWN ORIGIN OF DEATH.

Pathologist & ANAL\ ST

BAFFLED.

CORONER'S INVESTIGATION

CONCLUDED.

The origin of the cau.-e of death is a question which has baffled the pathologist at the Christchurch Hospital, and tho Government Analyst, and in connexion with the death of Ellen Eva Reader, a married woman, aged 22 tears, who died suddenly in her bedroom in tho house of her raothci-in-law in Coleridge street, Sydenham, on April 4th, they told tho Wstrict Coroner, Mr "Wyvcrn Wilson, who conducted tho investigation, that the origin of the cause was unknown to tlifcm though they had both examined portions of the body. • When tho inquest was first opened, the mother-in-law of the deceased said that tho woman had had a bad epileptic lit the Sunday before her death, and that she had been shaky until she had died. The evidence of Mrs Elsio G. Reader, which was given yesterday, was to tho effect that she was a sister-in-law ot tho deceased, and that on the liioining of April 4th, sometime after 9 o'clock, she discovered her lying across her bed in a position which led the witness to suppose that she had heen kneeling on tho bed when she had dieu Mrs Reader said that it was correct that her sister-in-law had had a severe epileptic fit on tho Sunday before she died. . T "Alter I made tho examination I was unable, to assign any cause for her death," said Dr. A. P>. Pearson, Pathologist at the Christchurch .Hjospital, who made a post-mortem examination of the body on April sth• "There were many minor causes, but none of them seemed sufficient," lie added. Ho i.indo microscopical exanimation, but that had revealed nothinj* beyond what lie could see with his nalted eye. The general appearances indicated the asphvxial type oi death, and,- although he had not suspected it, he had been on tho look out for alkaloid poisoning, but he had found no trace of it. The cause ol death, he thought, was asphyxia duo to unknown origin, associated with status lyniphaticus in a moderate degrce. , Evidence was given by rA. a. Bickei'ton, Government Analyst, wno said that he had been given a portion of the brain and the contents ot the Stomach of Mrs Reader, by the policu, and had made a chemical examination of them, hut he could find nothing to account for death. "All I can do in this ease is to return a verdict in accordance with tho medical evidence," said his "Worship. "It is an unusual case. Since childhood the deceased had been subject to epileptic seizures, and apparently in l()w health. On the morning of her death she vl'as called from her bed, anii she replied. Half-an-hour later she was found dead. The doctor thinks death was caused by asphyxia associated with status .lymphatic* in a moderate degree. It might have been that she was on tho verge of having another fit when she died; I cannot He returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.