Death from Improper Feeding: The circumstances attending the death of Horace Pinsent, aged four months, son of Henry Pinsent, a wainwright, of 170, Green-lane-road, necessitated the holding of an inquest at Bridge-road Board Schools on Wednesday afternoon by the Borough Coroner, Mr. Robert Harvey. Elizabeth Pinsent, the mother, said the child had been delicate from birth, and had been unable to retain its food. In spite of this, however, she had not brought it up on the breast, but had fed it on oatmeal, arrowroot, and arrow- root biscuits. On Monday evening she took the child to bed with her as usual and gave it its bottle containing a mixture of milk and oatmeal. On waking at four o’clock the next morning she was about to attend to the baby when it became stiff and presented a peculiar look about the eyes. Witness placed it in a warm bath, and it then expired. Dr. Lithgow said he saw the dead child on Tuesday morning. In his opinion it had succumbed to convulsions, brought about by improper feeding. Mrs. Pinsent told the coroner that she had been a mother of seven children, but only one was now living. She had previously lost a child through convulsions. All her children had the same diet. The coroner, in summing up, remarked on the frequency of cases of improper feeding of children which caused convulsions, often resulting in death. The verdict returned was in accordance with the doctor’s evidence, but on the recommendation of the jury the coroner cautioned the mother to exercise more care in the future.
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Referenced
GRO0233 Tiverton: Elizabeth Phillis: 1872 – 1913
GRO0404 Tiverton: Henry Pinsent: 1871 – 1939
GRO0433 Tiverton: Horace Pinsent: 1897 – 1898