SUDDEN DEATH. CORONER'S INQUIRY.
An inquest, touching the death of Mary Minnett Sinclair, aged 10 years, who expired suddenly early on Sunday morning, under circumstances narrated in yesterday's issue, was held at the Globe Hotel yesterday, at half-past 9 a.m., before Dr Kilgour, Coroner, and the following jury: Messrs W. Burton (foreman), C. Buckland, E. Prescott, R. Walters, F. Amy, W. Wood jun,, J. Cocks, T. Hammond, J. Cook, F. Gerralty, R. Bateman, and T. Whitehead. Constable Cleary was present on behalf of the police.
The jury having been sworn and viewed the body, the following evidence was taken: —
Peter Sinclair deposed that he was a carpenter by trade. The deceased was his niece, and was on a visit to his family. She had been staying with them for about nine months, during which time she had enjoyed good health. On Saturday last, about 8 o'clock in the morning, she complained of a little sickness. Mrs Sinclair gave her a tablespoonful of castor oil, which she vomited. About half-an-hour afterwards the dose was repeated, and it kept down, but had no effect until evening. Nothing unusual happened until between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when she began to complain of her head. To relieve the pain, which was not acute, a little acetic acid was applied to the forehead. About 8 o'clock her feet and legs were bathed in hot water, an operation which, she said, eased her much, and caused drowsiness. Until 6 o'clock she took no food. At that hour she partook of a little corn flour. At 8, o'clock she went to sleep, and did not wake for two hours. After that she started occasionally, but did not wake until halfpast 11 o'clock, when she drank some tea with relish. She then went to sleep again, and did not wake again until halfpast 12. At that time she commenced breathing heavily, with a rattling in the nostrils. Witness thought that something was seriously wrong with the child, and sent for medical assistance, which could not be obtained.
By a juror: Not being able to procure the services of Dr Huxtable, he being absent from home, he interviewed Dr Callan, who asked him some questions about the state of the child. Witness informed him that she was dead, and the doctor said that in that case it was no use his proceeding to the house. It was not true that Dr Callan had refused to attend the child.
Dr Callan deposed that by the direction of the Coroner he had made a postmortem examination of the body. He found that the brain substance and membranes were in a healthy state. He then examined the abdominal cavity, and found the visera and intestines healthy. He next opened the chest, and found the lungs healthy. On opening and examining the heart, he found a deficiency of one of the aortic valves, with thickening of the left ventricle. The valve seemed to be more congenitally deficient rather than as the result of disease. The state of the heart, he considered sufficient to account for death. The body was fairly nourished, but did not present the type of a well-nourished child. The immediate cause of death was disease of the heart.
The witness having appended his signature to his depositions, said he wished to make a few remarks in reference to a statement that he had refused to attend the child. The facts were briefly these: About 2 o'clock Mr Sinclair, the uncle of the child, called upon him and asked him to attend it. After some conversation he (witness) consented to go and proceeded to his bedroom for the purpose of putting on his boots. On returning to the room where Mr Sinclair was, that gentleman said he thought it only fair to tell him that the child was dead. Witness then asked him what was the use of going to the house, and said that it would only be throwing away money. Mr Sinclair replied that he wished him to see the body so as to satisfy the child's friends and enable him to give a certificate of death. Witness said he could not give a certificate as he did not know the cause of death. Mr Sinclair then left. He (Dr Callan) wished to make this statement in order to clear himself of the one in the newspaper, which if not corrected might have an injurious effect on his practice.
The jury did not consider it necessary to take further evidence, and after a few minutes consultation they returned a verdict of "Death from heart disease." -Thames Advertiser, 28/9/1880.
Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland.
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