474

INQUEST IN MIDDLESEX

(HELD AT BRENTFORD),ON A CHILD, WHO DIED WHILE

UNDER THE TREATMENT

OF

A PRESCRIBING DRUGGIST.

NOTICE having been given to Mr. WAKLEY,coroner for Middlesex, that Edward Willet,aged 27 months, the son of William and AnnWillet, residing at No. 3, Zion-row, Brent-ford-end, in the parish of Isleworth, had diedat that place, 11 under suspicious circun-i-stances," and that the authorities in the townwere desirous that an inquest on the bodyshould be held, a jury was summoned tomeet on Saturday, the 18th of December,1841, at the Half-moon, Brentford-end ; andan order was sent by the Coroner to Mr.Bonney, surgeon, directing him previously tomake a medical examination of the body,and attend the inquest to report its condition.But at the assembling of the court the Coro-ner was informed that the mother of the Ichild had declined to permit the autopsy.The child had been attended medically byMr. Squire, a druggist, of Brentford, with asupposition, on the part of the parent, thatit was labouring under croup; and, under theexpectation of Mr. Squire that any exa-mination he had the power of forbidding thesurgeon to make, unless he himself (Mr.Squire) " and other medical gentlemen," ashe subsequently said, were present, Mr.Bonney had been unable to fulfil the direc-tions of the Coroner. The surgeon, how-ever, being now assured that he could actperemptorily on the order, and the mother ofthe impropriety of her objection, an adjourn-ment of the court took place to Wednesday,Dec. 22, and leave was given to Mr. Squireto be present at the inspection (but not in thecharacter of a medical man), and have therewith him anv medical friend 111’. might desire.

Mr. Farrell, surgeon to the union of theparish, also attended it at the wish of themother. !On the 22nd the court reassembled. Only

one witness was present at a time at the in-

quest. The mother,ANN WILLET, being sworn, said, that the

child died on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at home,and her deposition ran as follows :-Deceasedbeing taken poorly, with rather a croupicalcough," which she did not think of any con-sequence, she, on Monday evening, Dec. 13,as she was passing the shop of Mr. Squire,a druggist, of Brentford, went in and askedfor a penny powder to give to deceased,whom she had with her. He replied that hehad no penny powders, but he had three-halfpenny powders. She said to him thatdeceased had a cold, and she thought a pow-der would relieve his chest. Witness had a

powder of Mr. Squire, which she gave todeceased immediately she got home, and sheconsidered that it relieved him very much,by lessening the little fever that he had. Itmade the child vomit in half an hour, and healso had a stool. Mr. Squire told her thatit would probably make deceased vomit, andthat she must not be alarmed at that. Healso advised her to put his feet into warmwater that evening, which she did. Deceasedslept until half-past two o’clock that night,and then he became restless. At twelveo’clock next day (Tuesday, Dec. 14th), asdeceased still had the croupy cough, shesent Mrs. Brown, a friend, for another pow-der from Mr. Squire’s. Mrs. Brown broughtone back, like the first, and it was given tothe deceased at once. That powder did notmake deceased sick, but he had a motionwith it, and kept about, playing with theother children, until eight o’clock in theevening. He then dozed until ten o’clock,p.m., when he went off in a strong fit, where-upon witness put a mustard, oatmeal, andvinegar poultice to his throat, which relievedhim. She did not send for any medicinethen, but put his feet into warm water again.He was much convulsed, and was insensiblefor half an hour. Witness sent for no medi-cal man to seethe child, notwithstanding theweakness of the child after the fit, as shethought it was merely that the poultice wastoo strong, and that the child was faint afterit. At half-past one o’clock that night (thatis, on Wednesday morning, Dec. 15) thechild had another fit for half an hour, morepowerful than the first. Nor did she then

get medical advice for him, and he had a fitevery half-hour after that until half-past sixon Wednesday morning ; but at seven o’clock,a.m., she sent for Mr. Squire, who came atonce, nearly half undressed, from his hasteto attend the child, when he told herthat he was afraid that she had keptdeceased too long without medical aid, andthat he feared he could then do him no good.However, he went home for a powder, andsaid he would also send three leeches, andthat the child must be put into warm water.Mr. Squire came again at ten minutes pasteleven on Wednesday morning, for whichwitness was very much obliged to him. Hehad told her that the leeches were to be puton the throat, just about over where the in-flammation might be. The child’s neck wasnot at all swollen. Mr. Squire did not feelthe pulse of the child, she believes, when hecame, but he did in his shop on the Mondayevening, and said that deceased had no feverthen, which witness thought it had not, oronly very little. If it had been his own childMr. Squire could not have attended it morecarefully. No person but Mr. Squire at-tended the child medically. He desiredwitness to keep the child warm after thebath, in a blanket. Mr. Squire keeps anopen shop, as a chemist and druggist, in

475

Brentford, and has many patients apply to higher than the trachea. Witness doeshim for medical aid. Mr. Squire has not not consider that the child died trom the

yet sent in his bill for his attendance on de- disease called croup. The inflammationceased. For the powders she paid at the extended two inches down the bronchia, be-time. Deceased was run over five months yond the bifurcation. There was, appa-ago by a light basket chaise, being knocked rently, no difference of opinion amongstdown by the horse. The wheel did not go those who were present as to the cause ofover him. He was poorly then, for a few death. The lungs crepitated well in all parts.days, though apparently not much hurt, and Witness would think that the active diseasewitness considered him to have never been producing the inflammation had existed notso well after that accident as he was before. many days. It was a disease that was easily

ELIZABETH PETERS, a widow, lodging in discoverahle by a competent medical practi-the same house as Mrs. Willet, working at tioner. The treatment, in a child, would,the Duke of Northumberland’s, saw de- according to circumstances, be the removingceased from half-past nine on Tuesday even- of a little blood by two or three leeches ap-ing until nearly eleven that night, in a fit. plied to the integuments over the breast-bone,Between six and seven on Wednesday morn- and by fomentations, and by giving antimo-ing she told Mrs. Willet that she thought nial medicines, perhaps mercury, accordingdeceased was dying, and Mrs. Willet said to the symptoms, an emetic, and perhaps ashe would send for some one to see de- purgative. The disease of the child was notceased, the first stage of croup, but the second stageHARRIET BROwN, wife of Archibald of bronchitis.

Brown, a nurseryman, living next door to JOHN FARRELL, holds the diploma ofMrs. Willet. On Monday evening, Dec. the College of Surgeons of London, and the13, between six and seven o’clock, she saw licence of the Apothecaries’ Company of

deceased, who had a bad cough, and was London. The post-mortem’ examination ofmaking a queer noise in his throat. She ob- deceased disclosed inflammation of the liningserved to Mrs. Willet what a dreadful cold membrane of the bronchial tubes, extendingand sore throat deceased had, it was so from the glottis, through the trachea andhoarse, and made such a funny noise in the bronchial tubes, into the lungs. The

breathing. At twelve o’clock on Tuesday greater inflammation was in the upper partwitness was asked by Mrs. Willet to go to of the trachea. There was no effusion, butMr. Squire’s for a brown powder for a child, an increase of mucus : nor any false mem-Witness went, but did not say to Mr. Squire brane. The brain was perfectly free fromwho it was for, or what it was for. Witness disease. Witness would have treated suchpaid twopence for it. Mr. Squire did not a disease by bleeding, local bleeding byask witness any question on the subject. leeches, in such a case as this, probably, andWitness took it to Mrs. Willet. On Wed- strictly antiphlogistic means. The patientnesday morning, at seven o’clock, witness should be kept in an equable, moderatedwas at Mrs. Willet’s, when Mr. Squire came, temperature, and action on the skin sus-half dressed, and said he did not think de- tained by warm baths and sudorifics. Theceased would live long. He added, "put antiphlogistic medicines which witness wouldthe child in a warm bath, and I will send a have given are none of them of a brownpowder for him, and three leeches, which colour.

you must put on the throat" at such a point. WILLIAM SQUIRE, of New Brentford, saidMr. Squire came again at ten or eleven that he was a chemist and druggist, and hado’clock, of his own accord, and said deceased no other occupation.would not live many minutes ; and at twelve The CORONER here informed Mr. Squirethe child died. Witness did not hear Mr. that it had been proved in evidence that heSquire advise the mother to have another had been attending the child as a medicalmedical man, or any one else, called in. If he practitioner; consequently, he now inquiredhad, witness would have heard it. of Mr. Squire whether he possessed the

FRANCIS AUGUSTUS BURDETT BONNEY, of licence of the Apothecaries’ Company. The

Brentford,andholdsthediplomaoftheCollege Coroner at the same time informed Mr.of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and the licence Squire that he was not bound to answer theof the Apothecaries’ Company of London. question.Witness has examined the body of deceased Mr. SauiRE declined saying whether heby order of the Coroner, with Mr. Farrell held the licence of the Apothecaries’ Com-and Mr. Radcliffe, surgeons, and Mr. Squire, pany of London.druggist, all of New Brentford, and a friend [The Coroner, upon the refusal of the wit-of Mr. Squire, whom Mr. Squire repre- ness to answer the question relating to thesented as being a legally-qualified medical qualification of witness to practise medicinepractitioner, but whose name witness does generally, declined to examine him anynot know. Witness found the death of de- further.]ceased to have been caused by inflammation THEODORE PARRETT, residing, at present,of the larger air-passages leading to the on a visit with Mr. Squire, living, at home,lungs. The inflammation did not extend, at No.1, Buckingham-place, Dover-road,

476

says, he is a member of the Royal College ofSurgeons, and a licentiate of Apothecaries’Hall, London. Witness was present at thepost-mortem examination of the deceased,and saw that the cause of death was ex-

tremely violent inflammation of the larynx,the trachea, and the bronchial tubes, descend-ing as far as the upper lobes of the lungs.The treatment in such a case, when first

seen, would be the antiphlogistic. Bleeding,warm baths, emetics, calomel, in two or

three-grain doses, combined with antimo-nials. everv two or three hours. and counter-irritants should be employed. The medicinesabove-named are all white. The cause ofthe inflammation might have been cold. Itis a very fatal disease, unless checked in anearly stage by proper remedies.

After some remarks of the CORONER onthe amenability of persons who practise me-dicine as apothecaries, to the law whichsubjects them to a penalty of 201. for eachoffence, the jury returned a verdict, that" Edward Willet died a natural death, frominflammation of the air-passages of the throatand lungs."

MUSCULAR CICATRIX AFTER THE OPERATIONOF STRABISMOTOMY, ACCORDING TO M. Bou-VIER’S DISSECTION.—The patient died of con-sumption about three months after the cureof the strabismus. The disease was in theright eye, and divergent. " The rectus ex-ternus of the eye, which had been perfectlydivided a few lines distant from its insertionin the sclerotic, adheres anew to this mem-brane by a fine cellulo-fibrous production,fixed about a centimetre behind its normalplace of attachment, and quite analogous tothe bands of new formation which reunite themuscle to the eye, according to the experi-ments of Amussat and L. Boyer upon horses.The attachment of this aponeurosis to theeye describes a curve with an anterior con- icavity. The middle part has become adherentto the sheath of the inferior oblique, near theocular termination of this muscle. Its supe-rior extremity is less prolonged forward thanthe inferior, from which arises a filamentapparently tendinous, which extends nearlyas far as the old attachment of the muscle.This disposition, which one might attributeto the fact that the inferior edge of the musclemay have escaped the section, appears ratherdue to the preservation of the ocular fasciato a greater extent below than above; for adecided line of separation divides the fleshybody in its entire height from the new apo-neurosis, and the muscular fibres are all

equally retracted, which could not have takenplace if some had remained intact. The an-terior end of the muscle has become atro-phied ; no distinct trace of it remains, al-

though it was very apparent after the opera-tion. The division of the conjunctiva hadleft no visible cicatrix."—Bulletin de l’Aca-demie.

THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, January 1, 1842.

STATISTICS OF PATIENTS IN HOSPITALS.

THE Council of the Statistical Society has,we understand, appointed a " Committee of

Hospital Statistics," to consider the best

means of collecting facts that will be sus-

ceptible of numerical analysis on an uniform

plan, in periodical returns made from the vari-ous sanatory institutions of the country. Some-

thing of this kind has long been wanted, andits utility universally felt. Physicians and

surgeons perceive that, in addition to the

handicraft part of physic, there is, as in

other departments of philosophy, a wide fieldfor scientific generalisation, founded upon

systematic observation. The time is, there-

fore, ripe for some such undertaking as thatto which the Statistical Society has calledthe attention of the profession. The Com-

mittee has invited the co-operation of the

officers of the London hospitals ; and it is ex-pected that a meeting on the subject will take

place early in January, when the matter willbe discussed in all its bearings. As a pre-

liminary step, it is proposed, with the per-mission of the authorities, to enumerate

(on January 8, 1842,) all the patients inthe following hospitals-St. George’s, theWestminster, the Charing-Cross, the Middle-

sex, University College, King’s College, St.Bartholomew’s, the London, Guy’s, St.

Thomas’s, the Small-Pox, the Fever, and theLock. The age, sex, occupation, and disease,and the duration of the disease, prior and sub-sequent to admission, are to be distinguishedin schedules, printed for the purpose by theSociety; and the enumeration is proposed tobe effected by gentlemen nominated by themedical officers. It is believed that the

numbering can be effected with compara-

tively little trouble, and yet be rendered suf.ficiently accurate, by taking the list of

patients in the hospitals on the one day, visit-ing each individual, verifying the facts, and

consulting the medical attendant on any