LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 258, 21 April 1855, Page 4

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

CORONER'S INQUEST. An inquest was liolden on Wednesday, in.the hospital, on the body of Jemina Dean, a child aged 2 years, who died on Sunday last from violent convulsions. After some introductory observations from the Coroner, Dr. Dudley \v;is examined, and stated that, he went to Rhode's Bay on Sunday last to see the deceased, but found -that she bad been dead about 1.2 hours, after suffering for 36 hours. He had since made a post mortem examination of the body, when every portion, of the child's stomach appeared healthy except a small contraction of the liver, and a little blood in the cavity of. the heart. He did not find traces of either vegetable or mineral poison in the stomach. He found that 3 other children at the sameplaee were suffering from similar symptoms to those which the deceased hud been attacked with, which led him to believe that tbe child had not died from natural causes. These children had been in the habit of eating mushrooms both cooked and raw, and also mussels. He supposed this might be the cause of the child's death, especially as.mussels are at times.of a poisonous nature. The child's death, wasevidently caused by eating something which produced congestion of ihe brain. The Coroner here explained that at times all lisa were poisonous, The inoiher. of the child was then examined and stated that deceased was taken ill about mid-day on Friday; the first symptoms of illness she noticed was. a general drowsiness; afterwards tbe child appeared to be suffering . from great pain in the stomach. About twelve

o'clock she hud a fit, which lusted a quarter of an hour, and another about an 'hour afterwards. She vomited some green liquid. Witness applied waim-baths and oth.r remedies till two o'clock on Sunday morning, when the child died. In answer to questions from (he Coroner, witness stated that she was not aware of the child having eaten anything: the night*revious that would bare disagreed with her, awlt that she did not believe that any poison was laid down in the bay to kill dogs. After a few observations frrnn the Coroner, the Jury returned the following verdict: " That death was caused from congestion of the brain, but from what cause there is not sufficient evidence to prove."