Death Under Strange Circumstances.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 411, 1 February 1890, Page 2

Death Under Strange Circumstances.

STRONG MEDICAL TESTIMONY. An Inquest was held yesterday afternoon oqnceruing the death of a female Maori infant Te Uru Mairangi, aged eight iqonths, The following gentlemen oompqeed tho jury ; Messrs J. W. Bright (foreman), S. McLernon, S. R. Stewart, R. Harper, J. A. Harding and C. Dunlop. The evidence was to the effect that since Wednesday the child had been sick, it was supposed of dysentery, and the mother’s sister in law (Mate Moana) had taken the child to palmer's place, in the belief that that person a fioctor. That was at Q a.m. He gave Wj® ofii'A , Bomo medicine and (or 4s handed a bottle of medicine which was to he given at stated periods, On returning as far as the bridge the condition of the child became alarming, and it was then taken to Mr Prichard’s, who advised that Dr Innas ba consulted. That practitioner at coca saw that the child oould not live. The child died at 1 o’clock. The matter was reported to the police and after a post mortem examination Dre Innes and Pollen testified that the symptoms of death pointed cleatly to naro'ootio poisoning. The body was Aultq healthy, anfi there was'no evidence of dysentery. J. Painter'swore when the child was brought to him the natives said they had been giving it other medicine, but any such statement was distinctly denied ; Eruera Taituha, the mother's brother, had prepared some manuka juice, a noted remedy for dysentery, but had not given any to the child, preferring first to see a doctor. Palmer denied that he had given the child any opium, laudanum (neither ot which he kept in hie shop) or sedative ot any kipd. The medicine given was the same ns that in the bottle produced—it contained onO foain tincture of cloves, half grain tincture hi oipfiambn, 86 minims essence ,of anniseed', diluted with . water,.and gwwteacd with sugar, He had advised that the child be taken to a doctor. It was decided to forward the decoction in the bottle, together with* the intestines, to the Government analyst, tor his examination, and to'adjourn the inquest utfl|l)the idth February.