The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-04-15 00:00:00

PUTTING A CHILD OUT TO NURSE!

An Inquest bu been held at the "Cherry Tree" Tavern,
Clerkenfrell, London, on the body of a male child of Jane
Mansfield :

Miss E. Russell, a diminutive woman of unknown
age, stated that she was an officer's daughter, and had
been single all her life. Formerly she kept a school,
but, being unlucky, took to nursing children. Had
been in that line ten years. Once had nineteen child-
ren, but had only one now, a little girl four years old.
not call herself a baby-farmer. Oh, dear, no; she
was an officer's daughter ; all her nurse-children had
lived except deceased. She did not reside in a back
kitchen, but in a room. Once had curtains and a
pianoforte, but not now. Advertised for a child, and
the mother, a young girl of nineteen, brought deceased.
Never saw her before. Received 3s. with the deceased.
Hoped to receive more, for she told the mother that the
child was in highly respectable hands. Had not seen
the =either since, but heard that she had gone to
Westminster, bad with small-pox. There was no rash
on deceased when brought to her. When it appeared
she gave him some medicine and a powder, and then
obtained an order for the parish doctor.

Dr. Dyer said, on Tuesday last, by order of the re.
lieving officer, he went to 4, Little Bath-street, to see
an illegitimate child, and found it dead in a small dirty
and foul room on the second floor back, It had neeia
suffering from small-pox, and had been dead half an
hour. Made a post-mortem examination. Externally
the body was very much emaciated, dirty, in fact,
filthy, excoriated and marked with the smallpox. Was
not vaccinated. The internal organs were natural, but
there wan an effusion of blood in the ventricles. The
cause of death was exhaustion (from want of proper
nourishment) and small-pox. He did not think that
Miss Russell had washed the child once since she had
it. It was simply impossible to realise the filthy state
it was in without examining it as he did. Not only
that, but the air of the room, in fact all in it, was
foul, and required immediate disinfection.
To Miss Russell -- Have you ever washed the
deceased since yen had it! Miss Russell—How dare
you talk so! You make me feel quite ill. Oh, I
mast have a cup of tea after this. (Laughter.)
Mrs. Tuletti, wife of a brass frame maker, said she
was that lady's landlady. Had known her three weeks.
Miss Russell was in the house when she took it. It
was a six-roomed house. Each room had a separate
family, some consisting of eight persons. Miss
Russell had Is. Gd. and a loaf of bread from the
parish. She had no bedstead, but, with the child,
slept on is bed placed on two chairs. Witness believed
the neighbours washed deceased and its clothes, but
did not know positively.
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The deputy c6roner inquired if steps had been taken
to disinfect ;he house. It was quite capable of being
the cause of fever and disease spreading, not only over
the parish, but all London.
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Dr. Dwyer informed the court that he had sent the
officer of health to the house.
The jury returned a verdict of "Death from small-
pi,x, accelerated by want of proper nourishment on the
part of the mother."