The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1882-09-16 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

INQUEST AT THE BETHLEHEM HOSPITAL. .  On Monday the Southwark Coroner, Mr. W. J. Payne, held a long inquiry at the Bethlehem Asylum, London, into the circumstances of the death of George Edwin Hoare, aged 52, a draper, lately residing at 159, Kermit gtoin Park-road, London, who died at the above institution on Wednesday in last week. Edward Hoare deposed that the deceased was his brother, arid that he was subject to religious mania. It had, he said, been revealed to him that it was his duty not to partake of any kind of food. On one occasion the depression caused by these fancies was so great that he rushed into a butcher's shop and tried to commit suicide with one of the large knives, arid on another occasion he attempted to strangle himself. At last the witness and his family, with whom the deceased rtsided, felt compelled to get the usual order for his removal to the asylum, and he was admitted on Friday, September 1. He was in very good health up to the time of his admission, and raised no objection to going, though he distinctly knew where he was being taken. On Wednesday in last week witness had to attend a meeting of the committee of the asylum in connexion with his brother's admission, and while he was attending the meeting news was brought in to him that his brother had just expired. Mr. W. E. Ransden Wood, medical officer to the institution said that it was found necessary on the night of the deceased's admission to place him in one lded rooms on account of his violence. If'  of the padde, p to Tuesday morning he refused to feed himself, and all that he had was what the attendants got into his mouth by the help of a spoon. On Tuesday he would not have anything a\t all. On Wednesday (the day of his death) it was determined to compel him to take food by means of the stomach-pump, and for this purpose he was strapped down in a padded chair while the food was administered, consisting of milk and eggs beaten up together. No violence was used by any of the attendants, and the abrasions on the outside of the mouth were caused by the struggles of the deceased when the pump was in his mouth. In the course of an hour the deceased was seen by the witness and Dr. Savage, the superintendent, when they found that he was very livid and ill. They ordered him to bed, and in a short time after this he expired. By the Coroner: They would not have been justified in allowing the deceased to go without food until his hunger compelled him to take it. Besides, it was the usual practice to use the stomach-pump in such cases after one day's refusal to receive nourishment.  By Mr. E. Hoar: Since the admission of the deceased no harsh means had been used to keep him quiet. He was placed in the padded room so as not to injure himself, but he had his liberty in there, and was free to do what he liked. The room had plenty of light by day and there was a light just outside it all night.  Mr. Charles K. Hitchcock, M.D., deposed to administering the food and to the deceased's exhausted condition afterwards.  Mr. George Henry Savage, M.D., superintendent and resident physician, deposed to noticing the deceased's condition when the latter was brought before the committee just after having been fed by the pump. In his judgment it was right to adopt that method of feeding the deceased, notwithstanding his excited condition, because in his state of body death was likely to ensue from want of nourishment. He had made a postmortem examination, which showed brain congestion and old pleurisy in the lungs. The cause of death was from exhaustion, associated with extreme mental excitement and old lung disease.  Other evidence having been given which showed that the deceased objected to the food as being too good for him, Mr. Hoare expressed his satisfaction that the deceased had not been cruelly treated.  The coroner remarked on the importance of the inquiry to the asylum authorities and to the public, and the jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical testimony.