The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-08-27 00:00:00

ST. GEORGE'S HOSPITAL.

Inquisitions were last night taken before T. Moos, Esq. on the
bodies of two patients of the above hospital.
The first case was that of Lucy Hunt, an aged woman, resid-
ing in St. Alban's-place, Haymarket, who was injured in the head
about a fortnight back by the fall of a pall, which had been
placed on the dust bin. She was in consequence conveyed to this
hospital.
Mr. and 3lrs. Gibbs, relations to the deceased, deposed to hav-
ing visited her in the hospital every day up to the time of het
death.
Mr. Wm. Carroll. the house surgeon of the hospital, deposed to
the deceased's being brought there on Friday week. She had a
wound on the scalp bone of her head, which at the time was not
considered dangerous. Every thing proper was done for her. She
went on very favourably until Saturday last, when site was attacked
with erysipelas in her head. From her great age and weakness
her constitution gave way, and she died from the effects of the
wound.

Examined by Mr. Gibbs—Was there any large artery in her
head cut ?

Witness She told me she had lost upwards of two quarts of
blood, and I should therefore suppose there must have been.
Mr. Gibbs—l should have thought you must have found whether
it were so or not when you examined the wound.
Witness—lt was not necessary to examine it.
Mr. Gibbs--I understand poultices *ere applied to the head from
day today ?
IVitness—That was not till after she had been four days in the
hospital.
Mr. Gibbs—Wht were they more neCessary then that at first ?
Witness—Beestise the Wound did not heal up as was expected.
Here the examination closed, and the Coroner turned to the
Jury and inquired whether they were satisfied ? One nTf them
replied, that they had as yet no evidence to the identity of the
body they hail seen. True it was, they had seen a female
body, but whether it was that of the deceased they had yet to learn.
Another Juror remarked, that he did not think there could be any
reasonable doubt on that subject, but still he thought it disrepUt.
able to the Hospital not to send somebody to point out the body
from the two others by which it Was placed. Another remarked,
that the porter did come down at last, and point it out. One or two
of the Jurors replied, that they had waited some time In the room,
and yet the porter had not come when they left.
A gentleman here rose, and addressing himself to the Coroner,
said, he was a governor of the Hospital, and that with respect to
some of the Jury not having had the body pointed oat to them, it
was their own fault, as they ought to have ordered one of the porters
to hare attended them. . .

Coroner—l never know where to find them.
Governor—l trust, Sir, you will take care in future, and not per:
mit a Jury to apply such words as " disreputable" to the conduct
of the Hospital.
Coroner—l certainly think it is disreputable.
Or:tremor—Then I say that it is the wish of the Governors that
the Juries should always have every attention.
Coroner—We always send notice by the beadle a few minutes
before, and vet it has repeatedly happened that we have been kept
waiting in the cold and wet ten or more minutes before the door has
been opened.
Governor—Then I trust you will take care and remedy that for
the future.
Coroner—flow am I to remedy it ? The last time we were there
tee found only the patient Allan to attend us, the man about whose
condfict the Jury expressed so strong an opinion.
The beadle here entered the room, and explained that the irregu.
larity In the present instance arose from its being a new porter,
and his having mislaid the ktys.
Here the colloquy ended, and a witness having viewed the body
In the interim, now returned and identified it.

..... ....
The Jury returned a verdict--" Accidental Death."
The second inquiry was touching the death of John sharp, a
bricklayer, who ft appeared fell from a scaffold on which he was at
work, in the Vauxhall-toad, and was conveyed to this Hospital,
where he died.

Verdict—" Accidental Death."
A Juror here remarked, that as the business was now brought to]
a close, he would just reproof his hope that the text time they
were called to view a body at the Hospital, they might be Ream-
modsted with a light, so that they might not fail over the stairs, as
they were in danger of doing to-night.
Governor—You ought to have called for a light.
Coronet—We did not know who to call • there were several per-
sons in the hall, but none of them seemed disposed to attend on us.
IHr. Gurney. a surgeon, we believe, belonging to the Hospital,
observed, that it was a pity that a mistake about a key should have
led to so much unpleasantness.
Coroner—lt is not the first time it has happened.
The eoneetsation here dropped.