INQUEST AT MENTAL HOSPITAL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3186, 10 September 1917, Page 7

INQUEST AT MENTAL HOSPITAL

DEATH OF A PATIENT RESULT OF STRUGGLE WITH ATTENDANT An inquest, was held at Porirua on Friday night concerning the death of William Hunter Brown Hammond, which occurred on Thursday last as tiie result of injuries received in a struggle with Attendant Watson. Tho strugglewas commenced by tho deceased, who attacked Hammond. Mr. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M.i presided at the inquest, and vas assisted by a jury of eix. Dr. Gray Hassell, medical superintendent at the hospital, gavo evidence that the deceased suffered from delusions of persecution. On several' occasions it was reported to witness that Hammond had assaulted other patients without apparent cause. On Wednesday morning last the head attendant, Mr. Barnes, reported to witness that deceased had made a sudden impulsive attack on Attendant Watson, striking him a heavy blow on the head; that Watson had seized deceased to restrain him, and that tlioy had fallen on the floor of one of the wards. Attendant Cockhurn' had come to the assistance of Watson, and Hammond was finally overpowered by the two attendants and placed in a single room. Barnes said that deceased had complained of pains in tho fl'omach. but he did not notice any evidence of external injury, and he concluded, that the patient Vas not seriously hurt. 'Witness saw the deceased about nobn, but thero was no evidence of bruising on the abdomen, which was tender to touch. On tho : following morning tho head attendant visited tho deceased before breakfast, and noticing that he was worse asked Dr. Simpson, assistant medical officer, to see him. This was dene, and. deceased was ordered to the siclc room. Witness saw the man about 10 o'clock. Ho was then much'worse; his pulse was very weak, but his temperature "was sub-normal. He ftill complained of great pain and tenderness in tho abdomen, and witness questioned him as to how lie received tho inj,ury. He 6aid he did not) know exactly, but had received it in tho scuffle on the provious day. The patient gradually sank, and died at 12.40 p.m. Deceased was a single man, aged 45, and at ono time worked on tho wharf. As far as was known ho had no relatives in tho Dominion. Deceased had also been a patient .in April and' May of 191-1. ' ' Thomas Emerson Watson, attendant at the refractory ward, stated that i.hc deI ceaseil was inclined to bo aggressive towards attendants. On Wednesday morning last, a little after 8 o'clock, bo was leading tho patients to tho .dining-room for breakfast. While he was carrying out certain duties the deceased called him objectionablo names. He. had been behaving in an .aggressive manner prior to this. Witness was in the act of opening the dow leading to dajM'ooni No. wheii deceased struck him a blow justbelow f-he/left car. Ho followed that up by .striking witness in the chest. Witness immediately closed with his assailant, catching him by the shoulder. IJ.eceased tried to throw witness, and tho two fell togother on tho floor. As they fell deceased's face was upwards. They turned over several times on the tloor, and when Attendant Coclcburn appeared on the scene ho pulled deceased away from witness. Subsequently -the two attendants succeeded -in the deceased, who was placed m a single room. Witness. emphatically denied tl-at he kicked tho deceased or pressed his knee, against his stomach. lo his knowledge he used -do violence to the ceceased whatever. Dr. W. Kington Fyffe, who made the post-mortem examination, stated that death, vfas duo to haemorrhage and shock from the rupture of an ulcer. The jury returned.a vferdict m accorclance with the medical evidence, and found that no blame whatever was attnchable to Attendant Watson.