CRUELTY TO A BABY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4193, 16 August 1892, Page 3

CRUELTY TO A BABY.

A'Heattlm Mother.

The case against Drawl Mrs Hnadlcy, formerly of Huwko's Buy, recently tried in Blenheim, and winch resulted in the two accused being coni'.nittcd for trial, revoaMan astonishing system of treatment of a five months' old twby. -We i-xtrnct some Jfes cviilouco from the Marlborough Express, Ouo witness deposed that sho did the housework at Dr Hoadley'c und looked after the baby. It was fed on oatmeal and water, in the proportion of two tablespoonfuls of oatmeal to a pint of water, and this was boiled for a quarter of an hour. Put it in a bottle, and the child got it half and half. Mrs Hoadley directed -that this should be the food it was to receive, and said the doctor had ordered it, as it could not digest milk. Gave the child milk twice. It was good.when she gave it milk. The child had dianhroa all the timo sho was there. Mrs Hoadloy know it, and Baidshe would tell the doctor. She (Mrs Uoadley) had said that if the child was to die she hoped it would die quickly. Left Dr. Hoadley's bocaoseshotbought something was going to happen to the child. It was then awfully thin, Its bones were nearly sticking through its skin, Mrs Hoadley was drunk most of the timftwitness was there, ' Another woman who succeeded this witness in the caro of the child stated that she had never seen a baby so thin before. The bones seemed to be ooming through the akin, Ffd it on milk. The child got on very well, and waß beginning to got fat. Mrs Hoadley told her that shewas to give it oatmeal wator, but witness did not, and told Mrs Hoadley she would not. Took the baby back at the end of six weeks and Dr. Headley gavo her a bad reception, and said Bhe had nu business to give tbe child milk, as he said the child could not digest it. Another witness said the child was very thin, and was simply skin and bone. Tho chemise used to stick to the child's body with matter. Mrs Hoadley told her tho child was not (it to be seen, and was not to be taken outside the pate. Mrs Hoadley was always drunk, but sometimes sober (laughter). One day she said she wished the bothering thing was out of the road, and they could get to some swpg, Told witness a couple of times to|o and throw it in the tide because it was in the road. The tide was right round the doctor's house, The police constable deposed that the child was a mere ske'eton, and in a wretched condition, covered with soree, and looked liko a parcel oi hones wrapped up in a piece of skin. Had Bcnrcely any voico whatever. It weighed about 31b us fur an he could guess without putting it in the scales. Dr Nairn stated that taking the case . of a child under five months suffering | continuously for seven to ten days, he could say that he bad had no . experience of uting oatmeal water, | It might depend onhow it was pre- . pared. Had not seen any eminent medicul authority s who in their ( books recommended the use of it in such cases. Assuming that the child would not take oatmeal water it would not be proper to leave it without any food. Ordinarily the weight of a newborn baby was 71b, ( and at the end of six months the avtfcige weight would be 141b. , PepTlpised milk would bo the first ' food that should bo tried in such a case, and in his opinion it would be bstter than peptonised gruel, or oatmeal water. Bail was allowed to accused, on j DrHoadley's own recognisance.