BOY’S SUDDEN DEATH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2679, 5 January 1924, Page 3

BOY’S SUDDEN DEATH.

FROM UNKNOWN DISEASE,

At Invercargill on December 29th the circumstances which caused the death the previous evening of John Edward Kennard, of Roslyn Bush, were enquired into by Mr Z. Ward, J.P., aeting-Coroner, and a jury of four.

Dr. William Ewart denosed that lie was called to Mr Kennard’s residence between 9 ami 10 on Thursday evening to examine the body of the deceased. From outward appearance he could not ascertain what was the cause of death, but as the result of a post-mortem which he had been instructed to carry out, he found that the cause of death was due to Hirsehspring’s disease, the chief features of which were enormous dilation and hypertrophy of the eolon. This condition, pressing as it did against the heart, had caused it to slop its action. The causation of the disease Avas unknown. The disease apparently had been present from birth and though its presence could not be detected by any untoward symptoms, it was always present, sometimes the patient. becoming worse and then better alternately. Usually the disease which' was an incurable, one, had its termination in some other way than what had happened in the present instance. No blame was attachable to anyone. E. T. Kennard, father of the deceased, said that his boy was eight years old last June. His son, dnring the last, week, had been enjoying his usual health. He had left home at 5 n.m. and on his return at 3.30 in the afternoon, the hoy was sitting on the front verandah, but had not uttered any complaint, about feeling unwell. The hoy had retired 1o bed almost immediately and subsequently had been given a drink, but almost immediately be changed colour and expired. When witness had noticed the change lie sen! an elder son to summon a doctor. Deceased had not been a >lrang boy, having been troubled from infancy. Nothing in the hoy’s condition when witness had returned home suggested that lie was seriously ill. Marv Ellen Kennard, a daughter of K. T. Kennard, stated that her brother had breakfast as usual in the morning and had then gone out to play. Later he had returned to the house feeling unwell and had gone to bed. Witness had known her brother to ha\ r e had similar turns beforeh and having suffered from constipation he had been given a dose of castor oil. He had had no lunch and later in the afternoon had merely had a drink of water. Witness corroborated the evidence of her father in regard to what had happened later in the afternoon. The jury returned a verdict that death was due to natural causes as slated in the medical eAadence.

The acting-Coroner returned a verdict accordingly, and stated it was very apparent the deceased’s sister had acted wisely in what she had done.