INQUEST.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1203, 20 March 1885, Page 2

INQUEST.

An enquiry into the cause of the death of Mr M. J. Vfaogmnis, of Barnsoleugh Flat, Firmer, Vincent County Treasurer, and President of the D matin District Hos.dtd, which cook plane in the Hospital on Wednesday eveniig last, the 11 hj insr., was’held op Friday afternoon last, the 13 hj in-it., before J. 3- Hicks m. G 0., R.M. an I Coroner, and a jury of 13, of whom Mr A. A. Oliver was appointed Foreman. Marv Jane Maogino g. wife of the de- / ceased, being sworn, d-posed : The decease I \ was my hmh nI. I first heard him com- sL plain of being unwell on the m-riling .f Tnea lay. the 3rd inst at breakfast. 11s complained of a swelling on the side of the throat. On the 7hj insfc. he went to the hospital and saw Dr Lewis, who gave him some medicine, and or lered a mustard blister to be placed under the chin. He returned home, had the blister applied, an 1 took the meficine as directed eveiy four home until Sunday forenoon. He complained of the medicine (mining the throat. On. the Tuesday evening he again took some of the medicine, bnt not in such latge doits. On the afternoon of the 11th he again went to the hospital to see Dr Lewis, and died there the same evening. Elizabeth Jane Macginois, daughter of decease 1, gave evidence of having gone to the hospital with her father. John K"ox, Wii’dam n of the hospital, deposed,that decease, 1. oime to the hosoital about 3.3) on the afternoon of the llth inat.; an 1 died at about 715 p.m. H« complained of having a soie throat. Dr L wig being absent at Alexanlra, I applied a linseed meal poultice to the throat, an I gave him some egg flip, but he could not swailny it. I pat on a secou 1 p >utt ce, an 1 a-ko I deceased to go to bed. He refuse I, saying he would wait till he saw th.* doctor. Dr Lewis arrived at the hospital about 5.40 p.m. He examined decease l’s throat and ordered him to bed. He thou injected liquid morphia into deceased’s arm Ha then went to his own house. Returnin'* shortly after he saw deoe .sad an I thou went in his buggy to Clyde, Decease I getting worse I Heap itched rnissenge s to Cly le for Di Lewis, but d cease I had expired before he had re uree I. By the P .reman : Dr Lewis immeUitelv on his arrival at ihe hospital from Viexandra, saw deceased and attended him. He saw decease I th.ee times before b went to t’ly e The ecease I also co nplained of a p iin across the stomach. John Stewart Dickie deposed : 1 am e'erk to the Vincent O-moty Domicil. Shortly after 3 p.m. on the afternoon of the 11th init. deceased drove up to the County Offi »'B. Ho said be was g'ing to the hospi al to s-e Dr Lewis. He said lie wis much worse, aal was determined to undergo an operation if necessary. I told dim that Dr L w.s was at Al xandra. He appeared to be. alarmed, and aai I “Go -d Go I, what will Ido ” He then instructed me to telegraph for the doctor to return at mice. I sent away a telegram, ad I believe the doctor returned at me-. Dr Lewis ha not left Cly le h.lf-anhour when 1 sent away the telegram, and could not then have been at Alexandra.

George Alfred Lewis deposed : I am a duly qualified radical practitioner, and surgeon of the Dnnst.an Distrct Hospital. Decease 1 first cons ilted me at illy le on the 7 r -h inst. He coinolainel of having a sore throat, f took him down to my house at the hospital aid prescri ie l for him. I gave him some of the medicine. H t said bo'felt somewhat better, anil afterwards had dinner with m u , eitioypreHv bevtily He sai 1 he had not ha I a | fair meat fm 7 or 8 days previous I siw no more of debased till the aft-rnoo.l of the 11th I -at. B; twee a 3 and 4 o’olo ik that afteroo in I was at Alex in Ira, anil rec-ived a telegram to return at .once to the hospital to see deceased, who’wasill. After Visiting some patients, and in about, ah hj ur I st rted home arriving at the hosnital about g. I saw deceased in the Wirdarmn’s room. He complained of his thr .at, also of a nain in the pit of his stomach, and sai l he ha I not Slept for 8 orj 111 nichts. I examine I him, and sail [ dnnulit he had be ter stay a little while, th.t he wante I alee ■, an I .hit 1 would give him an i jaation of m rphia. I gave him somewhat less than 5 minims, an I aftrrwarda assis'ed him to he 1 I then went into my own hoisa to dinner. In about half-an-honrl relume I, and decea.rd appeared to he going iit • a nice sleep 1 instructed the war-ls-nao not to allow him to be disturbed, and then took my ho sa and buggy on to C yde. fn about half-an-hour I received a s iram ms to letarn to see deceased, who was not so well. 1 returned at once n hors back, hut deceased was deal wh-n 1 arrived at the hospital. By jurors; I was not aware that deceased had not regularly taken the medicine I prescribed for him. Had I a similar case, my treatment would be the Sana i. When I left the hospital for Cly le, I had mt the sligh est ilea of danger. N. one could ha- e been norosurnnse 1 than 1 w.s. C larles Alike I S ackooole, sworn : 1 am a duly qnalifie 1 malioal unotiti ner and surgeon to the Cromwell Hospital, fhive eximined the holy of the-leeeased. It is that of a stout well nonrishel man. I fnun 1 afi the internal organs healthv with the exception of rh . heart, which was considerably enlarge I hj ing nearly double its natural S’Z-. and there was con iderable fatty deg-ner.ation. It was also entire y emnty of hlool My opinion is that dace ised ram- to his dea hj fr .m failu e of the heart’s acti m fr.-m the f ity de-.en-nti ii.

By the jury : Tite injeo'ion of morohia would nor, in any way accelerate t,h • death. My opi don is that death was caused by fatty -ieueuerati >n of the heart. I casually kn w deceased.

The jury having consnl ed, returns 1 a verlict in accordance with the medical evidence.