DEATH OF AN INFANT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2100, 7 June 1907, Page 4

DEATH OF AN INFANT.

CORONIAL INQUIRY. TRACES OF AN IRRITANT POISON.

Uiulvr sad circumstances, and durtbo absence of tlio mother, tho death occurred on Tuesday a.ftoruoon ol Roy Thorburn Marshall, the soven-nionths-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. 11 Marshall, of Mangapnpa. The circumstances were related at tho inquest, hold at Mr. Marshall’s residence at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, boforo tho Hon. Capt. Tucker, as Acting-Coroner. Sergt. Williams conducted tho examination and the following jury woro sworn in: Messrs. Alick M. Picltford, Win. Sam. Goldsmith, Vernon Win. Garrard, Tlios. Robertson, Jas. Clampit't, and Jas. Dalrymplo. Harriot Emma Marshall, mother of tho decoased, said tho child was soven months old. About 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday witness left homo to visit some friends at Ormond, leaving tho infant in charge of Daisy Thompson, tho nursegirl. There was no ono else at homo. Witness returned home about 5.50 and found tho girl sitting by the fire, with tho child dead in her arms. “Witness immediately put tho child in a hot bath, but all efforts at resuscitation failed. Dr. Williams was then summoned. Before leaving in the morning for Ormond witness had given tho nursegirl half of one of Marshall's teething powders with instructions to administer it to tho child at 10 .a.m. The corresponding half of the powder had been given tho previous afternoon to tho child, who seemed much benefited by it at the time. Witness! bad been in the habit of giving her children these teething powders, always with good results. She had received the powders as a sample through tho post, as a number of other people also had. The proprietor of the powders was resident in Dunedin.

By a Juryman: I did not buy any powders at the chemist’s. Tho previous powders 1 used woro also sam-

ples. . Daisy Thompson, the nursegirl, said that Airs. Marshall, on leaving witness in charge, instructed her to give the child half a teething powder and the feeding bottle at 10 a.m. Mrs. Marshall handed witness the powder and witness carefully followed out instructions. The child was bright and lively up to the time the powder was given. Witness administered it by putting the powder on the baby’s tongue and then giving a teaspoonful of water. She then put the child in the go-cart. He was quiet at first and then became cross. After he had been in the cait for about half-an-liour tho child became restless, and witness wheeled him about in the paddock. This soothed him and lie went to sleep till 1 p.m., whereupon awaking fretfully witness gave him milk and water out of his feeding bottle. Tho child then became very sick and vomited freely. Witness carried him about in her

aims for some time. Tho little one then laid very quiet wtili his eyes half closed. Half an hour was spent walking about outside and witness rc-depositcd him in his go-cart. He dozed off to sleep for a few minutes, and when nursed refused to take tho bottle. About 4 p.m. the infant became very restless and witness nursed him before the fire. He seemed to become worse and witness proceeded to give him a sponging. She sat before the fire and about 5

o'clock the baby threw out his limbs, became regal and frothed at the mouth. It did not occur to her to call assistance as she thought he had only fainted or something of the kind and would recover. She was not aware the child was dead until Airs. Marshall arrived home and made the discovery. Witness had seen exactly similar powders administered to the child by Airs. Marshall; Witness was quite positive, as far as her knowledge went, that nothing deleterious was given to tho child in the milk. New milk, as usual, was given and the bottle was perfectly clean. By the jury: She did not leave the child all day. Some of the milk from which the bott'lo was filled had been used in the household that day. So far as she knew it was good pure milk.

The Coroner: I had the two children to look after. I could only have got assistance by going some distance for it, as there was no ono within earshot. Dr. Williams, deposed that at about G. 30 ho was summoned by Air. Alarsliall in person, and on arrival at the bouse at 7 p.m. found the child dead. Witness made a postmortem examination the next morn-

ing. The organs of the body were quite healthy, but the stomach to some extent, and the upper part of tho intestine to a very considerable extent, wore congested and gorged with blood, giving the appearance of having been irritated by some substance. Witness removed certain portions for the purposes of analysis. To Sergeant Williams: Convulsions would possibly be tlio result of an irritant-.

The Coroner: In your opinion was what you saw sufficient to cause death ?

Dr. Williams: Well, the appearance of the upper part of- the bowel would lead one to supposo it bad been irritated, presumably by some poison. I would not like to put it more strongly than this: —The appearance of the part was consistent with the* possibility of the child having been poisoned. In reply to further questions tho doctor said the stomach contained some partly digested milk. Apart from the irritation there was nothing to cause death.

To a Juryman: Personally I know nothing about Marshall’s teething powders, except that the drug they are supposed to-contain is perfectly harmless. A good . many people use them. Mrs. Marshall tells mo that she has frequently used these powders for her children, and others have told me the same. This concluded the evidence, and the inquest was adjourned to the Courthouse, Gisborne, on Wednesday, 20th, at 2 p.m., by which time the result of the analysis will be made 'known. An order was made for the burial oF the body.