(Sutelde verdict)
A verdict of suicide by swallowing Lysol on May 3 at the Country Hospital while temporarily of unsound Thind was returned at the inquest on Sergeant A.B. Hibberd, of the Shang-bhat Municipal Police, who died in a room at the Country Hospital at] 515 am. on that day. In the course of the inquest, Mr, E, TT. Maitland, representing the friends of the deceased, made reference to a passage contained in a report in one of the Tocal foreign newspapers, to the effect that suspicions that he had contracted dread disease had just been con firmed.
asked whether the coroner would question a witness in the ease, Dr. 1. G. Anderson, who attended 'Sergi. Hibberd before his death, whether this were true or not, Mr. 'Maitland said' that the report con-learned had a very objectionable head-Ing, and all the friends of the [ceased were most upset, Mr. Anderson replied that this" report' had no foundation whatever.
'Dr. J. E, Bowen, in evidence, said that he was called to see Scrat. Mibberd inthe early morning of May' 3, being summoned to the sisters" 'once on the frst Moor. He} was sitting in a chair having some milk to drink, and witness told the] sister on duty to administer sodium bicarbonate, Sergt. Hibberd was then placed in a wheel chair and put into bed. He was not in very good con~ dition at the time. Questioned by. the coroner, Dr, Bowen said that it the nurses' office were the only way out on to the verandah through the wards, it was an undesirable state rs, and a change should be made cov to obviate the use of sisters! room as the only way to the verandah.
"Very Depressed"
Dr. Anderson said that he was summoned to the Country Hospit at about 8 am. on May 3, and saw the patient in bed in one of the wards. He Wwas then practically unconscious, and witness gave him some treatment. The patient lapsed further into unconsciousness, and died at 920 an. The cause of death in his opinion was poisoning. Sergt. Hibberd had been under his care since the previous Wednesday, and he frst saw him at his own office on the afternoon of April 28. phoned Inspector F.C. "Hall, [agreed to send him' to the Country Hospital under observation, While hospital, Sergt, Hibberd was in thi ]same depressed condition, and was; {ull of illusions about his bodily health for which there were no grounds. As far as he knew, there was nothing' wrong. with Sergi, Hlbflierd physically, "although he" was [decidedly unbalanced mentally, There was no speci tion taken in hospital for looking after the patient.
was definitely abnormal in his:
Miss M. J. Barnes, a staff nurse at! the Country Hospital, said that she was on duty on the west side of the first floor on the morning of May At 750 she went Into the sister's Joflice, and saw the cork of a Lysol bottle lying on the Moor. Then she saw Sergt, Hibberd coming through the balcony door. He faced her and seemed to stagger. She went up to help him, and could seo that there was something wrong with him. She Jsaw what she thought to be Lysol {trickling from his mouth. She asked him if he had taken any Lysol, but!
did not answer. She sat him in chair, sent for the sister in charge, and told her what she thought he
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