DEATH OF INFANT
THE SUMNER CASE.
FATHER OPPOSES DOCTOR.
(Special to the “Guardian.”)
CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.
Sensational exchanges between the Coroner (Mr E. D. Mosley) and the parents of Peter Raymond Wheeler, a 12-months-old child who died at his home, 62 Colenso Street, Sumner, on November 10, ended at the inquest yesterday, when the Coroner declared:
“It is fortunate for you, Mr Wheeler, that the evidence of the pathologist’s report enabled me to free you from a portion of the responsibility. Had it not, you would have been in a very serious position. I do not think that any medicine, good or bad, that could have been given by Dr. Bakewell would have saved this child’s life.”
A verdict was returned in accordance with the pathologist’s report that death was due to: (1) Edema of the brain, (2) toxaemia, and (3) Hirschsprung’s disease (congenital dilation of the large bowel).
Doctor’s Evidence.
Dr. R. F. Bakewell, of Sumner, said he was called in about 1.30 a.m., and he was told that the child had been vomiting. The child’s temperature was normal. He examine the chest and found it full of scattered moist sounds. The child was vomiting then. He formed the opinion that the child was suffering from a bowel condition. He commenced to give a treatment of small doses of magnesia by the mouth to delay the vomiting. He sat the child up. It lost the livid tinge and although very white its appearance was better.
“At this point my treatment was interfered with,” said the doctor. “Objections had been voiced at my giving the child the medicine. But at this point the father took charge, ordered me away from the child and said that he did not believe in medicine.
“There was considerable argument, but he persisted, and I was ordered away from the child altogether. He informed me he was a ‘crank.’ Eventually I left after giving final instructions to keep the child in the position in which I had settled him.”
Two hours after returning home, said the doctor, a neighbour of Wheeler’s told him that the child was dead. Witness informed the police.
Questioned by the Coroner, the doctor said he had heard the cause of death given in the pathologist’s report, and he did not think that he could have saved the child.
Asked by the Coroner if he wished to question the doctor, the father of the child replied in the negative.
Doctors’ Manner Criticised.
Allegations against Dr. Bakewell, punctuated with sharp comments and warnings by the Coroner, marked the evidence given by the mother, Mrs. Nora Isabelle Wheeler. She said that Peter was born on November 12, 1933, and was a normal, healthy child. He showed no signs of illness till the afternoon of November 9, when, after lying in the sun for a while, he began to vomit. In the evening he began to vomit brown liquid, and witness then sent for Nurse Overton, who called Dr. Bakewell. The child had quietened down before the doctor arrived, but after he left Peter had begun vomiting again.
“His manner was not good at all – he was too rough, too brutal,” witness said, referring to the doctor. “I do not think that the medicine was suitable for a child of 12 months.”
In answer to questions from the Coroner, Mrs Wheeler said that she had no training in medicine or nursing, and was only relying on her mother’s instinct.
“Why did you send for the doctor?” asked Mr Mosley.
“I sent for Nurse Overton, and she sent for the doctor.”
Coroner’s Warning.
“Well, why did you not have confidence in him instead of ordering him out of the house? I warn you that had I not been satisfied that the child could not have lived, your husband would be in a very serious position – and you might have been in one, too, for aiding and abetting him.”
“Sit down!” ordered Sergeant Almond, when Mr Wheeler attempted to rise.
“I’ll get at you in a minute,” commented the Coroner.
“Be calm,” said Mrs Wheeler, addressing her husband. “Don’t upset yourself. I’m quite calm.”
Mrs Wheeler said that she had no objection to doctors but that she had had an unfortunate experience. Doctors in the past had always “let her down.”
Continuing with her evidence, witness said that at about three o’clock she went to a neighbour’s house to get some brandy to revive the child, who she could see was sinking.
“Brandy? Brandy? At one year old?” ejaculated the Coroner. “Yet you objected to magnesia. You know the old saying, ‘Where ignorance is bliss ’tis folly to be wise.’ “
Mother’s Instinct.
“A good mother knows instinctively what her child needs,” said Mrs Wheeler.
“Your ignorance of the condition of the child is shown by the fact that you say the child was healthy,” said the Coroner. “Yet the pathologist’s report shows that the child was not healthy. He had a congenital dilation of the large bowel that must have been present from the time he was born.”
“That accounts for the constipation,” commented the mother in an aside to her husband.
“That accounts for almost everything,” said the Coroner.
Father’s Evidence.
The father, Benjamin Wheeler, a salesman, was then called. After describing the condition of the child in the early evening he said that he became alarmed about midnight and went for both Nurse Overton and Dr Bakewell.
“The doctor seemed rather upset at being called at night,” said witness. ‘He’ll be all right, all right – the child has got a chill – he’ll be all right in the morning,’ he said, and gave me a powder to give him.”
“The doctor came after you had been for him twice?” asked the Coroner.
Witness agreed and went on to say that he had gone home immediately after the first call and Nurse Overton had told him to call a doctor. She had told him to tell the doctor that the child was beyond the powder. The doctor had arrived and had given the child another powder. Later witness thought the doctor was going to give him another powder.
“I objected to the second powder,” said witness.
“… And told the doctor you would accept full responsibility?” asked the Coroner.
“Absolutely… The doctor raised his voice too much for a sick room.”
In answer to an interruption from the Coroner witness said he had no knowledge of medicine, and had objected to the powder merely because the nurse had said that the child was beyond powders.
Doctor’s Rights.
Don’t you think it right and proper that the doctor should treat the child as he thought fit? – No, sir.
What’s a doctor for? – To cure people.
The Coroner: Did you give the doctor a chance?
Witness said that the doctor was at the house for about half an hour. Witness objected to the treatment when he saw that the child “was going wrong.”
The Coroner: What is wrong with you?
Witness: I’m human – when he put his hand on the child’s stomach he pressed too hard.
How do you know – did you feel the pressure?
Yes. I’m the father. His hand was too heavy.
Here the Coroner reiterated that had it not been for the pathologist’s report witness would be in a serious position.
“Cranks.”
The Coroner (to witness): What did you say to the doctor about “cranks”?
Witness: The doctor said “What sort of people are these?” and I said “What you call ‘cranks.’ “
“My husband does not believe in medicines, when hot water and oranges…” interrupted Mrs Wheeler, but was silenced.
“What sect do you belong to?” asked the Coroner.
“I walk alone,” replied witness.
In reply to further questions witness said that he was 40 years old, and had been in New Zealand eight years. He was born in England, but had lived for some time in America. He had picked up his ideas in America. He believed in giving nature a chance to right things.
“I don’t want to be impertinent, but you yourself may one day owe your life to hot water and oranges,” said witness to the Coroner.
“I believe in taking my hints on medicine from experts,” said Mr Mosley.
Ordered Outside.
Here Mrs Wheeler again interrupted, asking her husband not to go on with the line he was following.
“Mrs Wheeler – go outside,” ordered the Coroner. “Constable Johns, take Mrs Wheeler outside.”
The Coroner then addressed the father, telling him that he could not adopt the attitude he was adopting in a country like New Zealand. He could not call in a doctor and treat him in the way he had treated Dr. Bakewell. If he brought in a certain verdict, witness would be in a very serious position.
The Coroner then returned his verdict.
“I hope you won’t be so foolish again,” he warned Mr Wheeler.
“May I say something?” asked witness. “I think it was sunstroke.”
(Ashburton Guardian, New Zealand, 23rd November 1934)
Our Family 2 