The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1885. AN IMPORTANT CSE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 10, 10 June 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1885. AN IMPORTANT CSE.

At the Napier Supreme Court, His Honor, m his address to the Grand Jury, referred to the charge of manslaughter against a woman whose occupation was that of a\midwife. The Judge went on to observe that the. prosecution based their case against her on this : There being a midwife engaged to attend on a woman about to be delivered, and there seeming to be some doubt ab.out the woman^s condition,- she desired that another midwife should be sent for, a Mrs Packer, the person charged with the offence. Mrs Packer attended and delivered' th.c woman of a child, and the child very shortly afterwards, within a few. ; dayG, died of injuries it had received.. Dr. Von Mirbach was called m on the 29th. (the child was born Gri the 22nd> 'and he found the child was about to die from injuries caused to the lungs by pressure *of fractured and bentribs. The case of the prosecution was that those injuries were caused by the midwife, Mrs Packer, m the course of the delivery, from unskilfulness, such unskilfulness as made her conduct criminal. In dealingwfth • this * case' 'the Grand Jury should satisfy themselves whether.the prosecution had>sucfe; a tiase against the person charged, as m the interests of justice, made it proper that she should take her trial before a P et ty, jury ; whether the injuries of which the child died were caused by Mrs Packer, and by her through an exhibition of gross unskilfulness. They must bear. in mind the importance of persons taking up the occupation of midwife possessing ordinary skill, and exhibiting it when called upon to do so. In remote districts—though he did not know^at Ormondville was so very remote^ it was not many miles from where Dr Von Mirbach lived — there might be, some difficulty m getting the'attendance of a medical man. But even m the towns where there were medU cal men... fJy\ ,™°moa ;nav6- recourse* to midwives instead of medical men.in their ;:de|iyery.i : ! therefore,- ic. fig. im-| portapt in': the public interest that! persons who take;, up the occupation o? midwife should have ordinary! skill, and should exhibit it wheri called upon to do so. Strange to! say, the Grand Jury threw out the' Bill. ■- ••■ ; ? I