DEATH OF AN INFANT?

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 193, 9 May 1908, Page 13

DEATH OF AN INFANT?

THE VERDICT. The ■ adjourned hearing of the evidenco concerning the circumstances, surrounding the death of the infant Edward Goorgo Peach, was concluded at tho morgue before Dr. W. A. M'Arthur,, District Coroner, yesterday afternoon. Mr. Wilford appeared: for Mrs.' Amelia Peach, mother,of the deceased, and Sergeant Rutledgo appeared for tho police. Amelia Annie Poacli, recalled, said that she last saw the child alivo_ at 11.30 p.m. • on Tuesday, when she fed him. She had always heated the food before • feeding tho' child.' Questioned as to the condition of the child at half-past eleven, witness said that the only marks discernible were two, about the size of' threo-ponny pieces. , •The Coroner: How often did you attend to tho child between. 6.30 and 11.30 p.m. ? ( ' Witness: Five or six times. . The Coronor: Oh', come, .howV.'tbat: is ridi-' culous. ' . , ' Mr.' Wilford : I submit, Your Worship, you must .tako her answer. ' i • The Coroner-: Vijry well; —five or sis times.' • To Sergeant Rutledgo: .Witness'took the child to Dr. Gilmer about fivo weeks ago, as ho was thought to bo ruptured; but the doctor said that that was not so. Witness did not foel . satisfied, and two' days later took him' to Dr.- Ewart, who also said that tho child was not ruptured, but was suffering from eczema. Ho instructed her to uso' ground starch, and cha!nge tho baby often. She' had followed his directions regularly since. The child improved under: this treatment.' , ■' ' To Dr. : Fyffe: Tho.baby .was fed;, on an average,' every two and a-half or three hours.

Dr. W. Knighton. FyfFo, medical, practitioner,. gave evidonco that ho conducted a post-mortem examination ..of the deceased, who weighed • 61b., on May 6, The proper average weight of a "full time" at; that age would be 101b. Boz. > Tho child was fully' developed, but very small and emaciated. There was no food, nor sign of food, in the stomach. There was a rupture, but this was easily reduced from the inside. There w ere no signs of inflammation'or >gangrene round the rupture. In'his opinion tho only thing that the child pould possibly have died of was inanition duo to improper feeding; this might liavo been slightly accelerated by the' rupture. Mr. Wilford: Is it not usual to 'look for indications of stenosis of the pylorus in the case of death of " seven-months ". children? Dr. Fyffe: Stenosis of the pylorus was rarely noticed in starvation. : .The pylorus was a, narrow duct loading from the stomach into the small intestine. Stenosis meant the blocking up of this passage. He had never como across congenital pylorus. In this case he liad cut through the pylorus, arid saw, no trace of stenosis. Ho did not agree that tho first tiling to be looked for in the death of a seven-months child was stenosis of the pylorus: Ho admitted that his examination was consistent with the statements given- as evidence by the mother. . . . ' To a Juryman: He thought that the child had not been changed so often as it ought to have been. Irritation of tho skin might devolop very quickly. To Mr. Wilford: In his opinion, tho most suitablo form of. diet for young .infants was composed of fivo tablespoonfuls of miro milk; seven of water, a little sugar, and one teaspoonful of lime-water.' The milk should cither bo. boiled or pasteurised. Dr. Hamilton Gilmer, mcdieal practitioner, gave evidence that lie saw deceased about five weeks ago. It, certainly had no .rupture then, and for a "seven-months'' child was fairly well nourished. Tho emaciated condition of the child; might easily have been the result of the class of tho food used. Tho most carefully-attended infant was liable to dovelop irritation ( of tho skin.. The' evidonco then concluded. . . j The jury, after retiring, brought in the following'vordict:-^ " That the child died from the want of the proper form of nourishment, and that. no blame was attachable to tho mother."