MENTAL HOSPITAL FATALITY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1819, 4 August 1913, Page 4

MENTAL HOSPITAL FATALITY.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY.

(By, Tclegraph-Prces AMoriation.) Auckland, August 2. Tho dentil occurred at Auckland at the Mental Hospital on Thursday afternoon of a patient, a young > woman, who had been found lying seriously injured on tho pavement beneath the window of one of tho upstairs rooms at Wolfo Home, a portion of the institution. .On Tuesday morning tho woman, who had been assisting to clear away breakfast dishes in tho nurses' quartos, was missed, wluen one of the nurses conducted the patients back to their own part of the building. Search was made, and the missing patient was found as described, with Ik)ih arms brake,n at the wnist, her skull fractured,, .and sufferiii® from oilier injuries. Tho woman remained uiiron.seio.iis for two days before sho died. An inquest was held at the Mental Hospital this morning, tho Coroner (Mr. E. C. Cubten, S.M.), having a jury of fix. The medical gupcrinlendrivt (Dr. Beattio) said the woman was admitted on January G, when She was melancholic and suffering from suicidal tendencies. Dr. Gray, senior assistant medical officer at the institution, said that t.lio patient improvtd gradually after admission. IT* <Md not remember tho actual date on which lie took her off the "caution card" kept for patients who required nftnstnnt observation, but it was pome timo between January 23 and January 30. Sho wos then in much imnroved physical and mental condition, and he did not think tlint nnv blame was attachable to tho nurse for leaving the patient for a minute or two. Nurso Gibbons coiTolxwitrd what, thfl dniiinrs lwl mid ,n,s to the improvement in tho patient's menial nnd physical condition. Just prior (o the accident tho ratinit had had a gnml lnvaliff-t, MM appeared cheerful. In giving her account of the accident, wifnwe corroborated whet Dr. Beattio hid stitcd. The jury spent five inimilft* in ce,n- _ sidwation. and returned n www* ; Uvat dweasod had died as a result of injur"** rwwived from throwin? herse'if out of the unstair* window at the hospital, there being no blame .attachable to anyone.