INQUEST ON A CHILD.

Dr. Watson, J.P., Borough Coroner, held an inquiry at the "George and Dragon" Inn on Tuesday evening, concerning the death of a child, ten months old, named William Leyshon, the illegitimate child of Mary Jane Leyshon, living with her mother in Caroline-place, Northbrook-street.

 From the evidence of the mother of the deceased, it appeared that the infant who had been weakly from its birth , had been very ill for a fortnight. It had been under medical care bronchitis and inflammation of the lungs about six months ago. The child was first taken with diarrhea and sickness, and the mother gave it brandy and milk, also a dose of castor oil. On Wednesday she took the child to Mr. Palmer's surgery ; he was not at home ; the assistant, however, saw it and made up some medicine, including a powder. She gave the child the medicine, and it seemed worse after taking the powder. On Thursday the assistant came to see the child, and on Friday Mr. Palmer came himself, and he said the child was very dangerously ill. It continued to get worse and died at 1.30 on Saturday morning. In answer to the Foreman witness said the child had slight convulsions, and had cut three teeth before it died.

Mary Jane Leyshon, mother of the last witness, gave similar evidence as to the illness of the child, and said her daughter had never neglected it. Mr. Montagu Palmer, surgeon, deposed to attending the deceased child, and when he saw it, it was then dying.  It was very emaciated and did not look to be ten months of age.   He had made a post-mortem examination of the body, which only weighed 6 ½ lbs , whereas the usual weight at birth was 7lbs.  Every organ was perfectly healthy. There was nothing to certify as to its suffering from starvation , as there was food in the stomach and intestines. He should say the cause of death was from exhaustion due to vomiting, possibly aggravated by the stomach being distended with the large amount of food which had not been digested.

A Juror (Mr. George Biddle) asked why he did not give a certificate of death, having attended the child for two or three days. Mr. Palmer replied that he had not attended the child previously and was totally unaware of the surrounding circumstances. He had therefore thought it his duty to inform the Coroner of the death. The Coroner said Mr. Palmer had acted with correct judgment, and would have committed an error had he done otherwise under the circumstances.

Mr Biddis further inquired why Mr Palmer had not given a certificate after the results of the postmortem.

The Coroner said that having ordered a postmortem examination, the cause was out of Mr. Palmer's hands.

The Jury thereupon expressed their opinion that it was a proper case for inquiry.

The Coroner, in summing up. said it was one of those cases in which inquiry was certainly necessary.

There was no evidence of practical neglect, and it was upon the facts and the medical evidence that they must form their judgment.  Never in his experience had he seen a child ten months old in such an emaciated condition.

The jury, of whom Mr. C. Sellwood was foreman, returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.