“SADLY NEGLECTED”

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 53, 26 November 1926, Page 6

“SADLY NEGLECTED”

MAORI CHILDS DEATH

UNDER RATANA TREATMENT Dominion Special. Aucklqjid, November 25 Au inquiry into the death ol a native child named Wao Nuitatta was concluded at Raetihi by the. District Coroner (Mr. W. 11. Sandford). Kairaniu Henare, father of the child, said that it was healthy until a few weeks ago After it had been ill tor a month it was taken to Dr. Boyd, who sent the child to the Raetihi Hospital, as it was suffering front appendicitis The doctor at the hospita. examined the child and said that an operation would have to be performed. Witness did not leave the child at the hospital, but took him home to Orautoha. About time days afterwards he temoved the child to a neighbour’s house, and he died there three days later The child had had no medicine from the time he became ill until he died, and the only time he saw a doctor was at Raetihi. Witness did not leave the child at the hospital as lie was under Ratatia treatment. Ratana saw the child about a month ago, but did not treat him Dr. Boyd said that he had made a post mortem examination and found that death was due to appendicitis, which had developed into peritonitis Had an operation been performed when he first saw the child, his life would probably have been saved It was evident from the whole history of the case that the boy had been sadly neglected A nurse at the hospital said that when the father and mother brought the child to the hospital thev would not get out of their car, and the mother would not let the child leave her. z\ doctor examined the child and he told the parents that if the child was taken home it would probably die. but that if it was operated on it would have a chance of recovering The father was willing, but the mother objected Thev tried hard to persuade the mother to have the child attended to. but without avail / The Coroner returned a verdict that the cause of death was appendicitis, but added that the child had been shamcfullv neglected bv his parents during his illness in that medical at; tention bad been denied.