TWO UNUSUAL DEATHS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 218, 14 August 1937, Page 16

TWO UNUSUAL DEATHS

SWALLOWED PIECES OF DONE. BABY AND YOUNG MAN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 13. The danger of swallowing bones during meals was men'tioned to-day during the course of inquests upon a baby, aged one year, and a young man aged 23, who died at the Wellington Hospital within four days of each other as a result of swallowing a splinter of bone from a shoulder of mutton and a piece of mutton chop bone respectively. The Coroner (Mr E. Gilbertson) said during the evidence that it seemed strange that there' should be two cases at practically the same time. Dr P. P. Lynch, pathologist, said he understood that there was a number of similar cases in the Wellington Hospital. \ \ The Coroner returned a' finding that the baby, Barry Frank Joslin, died on August 8 of pneumonia following the lodging of a piece of bone in his windpipe.

The finding in the second case was that Henry Georgh William Cox, a car upholsterer, died on August 4 of septic infection, following the swallowing of a piece of bone. At the inquest into the death of the baby, Silas Frank Joslin, a motor assembler, said that the deceased boy was his son. At about 6.15 p.m. on August 4 he and his wife were having tea and the baby boy was in his chair. His wife gave the boy about half a teaspoonsful of custard from his plate. The child commenced to cry loudly for two or three seconds, then his voice was reduced to a whisper. He appeared as if he could not cry properly owing to throat trouble. Dr Young was telephoned and on his advice olive oil was given to the child. As the oil did not appear to give relief, the child was taken that evening to the hospital. Witness saw the child on many occasions. An operation to facilitate breathing had been performed, but apparently the presence of a bone in the child’s windpipe was not suspected. On Saturday morning, August 7, witness was informed that the baby had developed pneumonia. The Coroner: Did you that evening give him a hone to suck? Definitely not. Have you any idea as to where he got the bone found in his throat ? It is a mystery to my wife and myself. It was certainly not in his food. Was he playing on the floor in the late afternoon? —Yes. And have you a dog ?—Yes, a small one. ./ Was the dog inside that afternoon ?—Yes. AA’as there anything to prevent the dog bringing this small piece of bone inside, and the baby getting it from him?—That may be the explanation. Susannah Jeanette Cox, mother of the young man who died, said that at about 6 p.m. on August 2 her son returned home from work and was then in his usual health. He commenced his meal of stewed mutton chops, and after eating a few mouthfuls, he left the table and came to the kitchen, saying, “Mum, I have swallowed a bone. An attempt to shift the bone by means of eating an orange was unsuccessful. The deceased went to an allnight dispensary, and later went to the Wellington Hospital. After swallowing the !>onc the boy seemed to suffer some discomfort, but did not appear to be in pain. An operation was performed, 'but he died later.