DEATH OF AN INFANT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8526, 2 September 1907, Page 5

DEATH OF AN INFANT.

THE INQUEST.

The death occurrsd at Miki Miki, on Friday morning, of the infant son of Mr and Mrs Alfred Searle. As no doctor was present at the time of the death, and no certificate of death was obtained, an inquest was held, on Saturday afternoon, before Mr W. P. James, Coroner, and a jury consisting of Messrs Henry George, Robert Wallace. Edward Egan, Robert Church, Frank Thompson and William E. Corlett. Alfred Searle, father of the child, stated that it was born on August 22nd. He had a professional nurse attending his wife and cbiW. The child seemed healthy, and his attention had never been drawn to the necessitv for having a doctor to attend it." He last saw the child alive on Thursday evening. Witness left home earlv one Friday morning, and at that time heard nothing about the child being ill. When he returned home at noon the nurse told him that the child war, dead. As far as he knew, there was nothing the matter with rhe child. Mary C. Bennington, professional nurse, said that she attended Mrs fiflfr Searle at the time of the birth of the The child iooked well until Friday morning, and she did not think it necessary to call a doctor. She noticed that it was not well about 9 o'clock on Friday morning. but there was nobody to send for a doctor. She saw the child feeding in the morning, and then took it away from its mother. It die.i shortly afterwards. Witness could in no way account for the child's death. Witness was then examined by Dr Cook as to the condition of the child's body and its appearance since birth. Dr Coo* said that he had examined the body of the deceased child. From the nurse's account, of the child's paleness, there may have been something wrong with the circulation of the blood, which might account for the slight jaundice present. Ke did not think the jaundice was sufficient to account for death. He could not give an opinion as to the cause of death, except that i t was from natural causes. The child was well nourished. There were no signs of any violence or rough treatment on the body. The Coroner intimated to the jury that he would adjourn the inquest if they desired a post mortem examination so that the doctor might arrive at the proper cause of death. The jury did not desire a post mortem examination. A verdict was returned in accordance with the medical testimony, no blame being attached to anyone.