INQUEST.
An inquest on the body of Charles McIntyre was held yesterday afternoon at the residence of Mr David Mcintyre, Figbys Bridge, before Mr R. Alcorn, JP., Acting Coroner, and a jury, of which Mr J. Totty was chosen foreman.
John McIntyre, an uncle of the deceased, said that he last saw him alive about a quarter to eleven on Saturday evening, when he seemed in the best of health and sprits. Witness lived about half a mile away from his brother's place and deceased retired to bed before he left. That was the last he saw of him. He had been told that deceased had taken a fit about six weeks ago That was the only one he had known him to take.
David James McIntyre, brother of the previous witness, stated that deceased, who had been residing at his place, had had fairly good health. About four weeks ago he had had an attack of jaundice, but had got over it. On Saturday deceased had said that he never felt better. Witness had tea with him about six o'clock on Saturday evening, and he saw his nephew last alive a little afterwards, when he was reading the paper. On Sunday morning an eight year old niece told witness a few minutes after nine that she had tried to call deceased, but he would not waken. Witness then went to deceased's room and found him dead, appearing to have passed away peacefully. Deceased was slightly dull for two days after the fit previously referred to, but had been able to resume his work at Duncan's foundry in Ashburton about a week afterwards and had been at his work of blacksmithing on Saturday.
Dr. Boyd said he was called to see deceased on the previous morning, the message being that he had been found dead in bed. Witness came up to see him and found him lying in bed without any appearance of any struggle or pain, having apparently died in his sleep, Witness had attended deceased during the last two or three years for slight ailments and last saw him alive on April 23rd, when he was recovering from a slight attack of jaundice. None of the illnesses for which witness attended him would be likely to cause death. He was never under treatment by witness for epilepsy, nor did witness know him to be an epileptic till he learnt the previous day that he had what was undoubtedly an epileptic attack some six weeks ago. Witness had made a post mortem examination of the body, which was that of a well nourished young man. There were no marks externally whatsoever, the organs appeared nearly but not quite healthy, the only signs of disease being a slight enlargement of the heart and spleen together with old long standing pleurisy in both lungs. There was nothing in all this to account for death, but the heart and lungs and kidneys were all dark coloured as if the man had died from asphyxia — suffocation. There was a slight enlargement of the thyroid gland of the neck, which might have further embarassed the breathing during an epileptic fit. A peculiarity about the body was the fact that all the organs were transposed, those which usually occupy the right side being found in corresponding position on the left. In his opinion the cause of death was from asphyxia during an epileptic fit. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony. -Ashburton Guardian, 22/5/1906.
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