Emma Margaret BREWER [9033]

  General Notes:

South Australian Chronicle and Weekly Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1868 - 1881) Sat 1 Mar 1879 Page 9 CORONERS' INQUESTS.
The City Coroner (Mr. T. Ward, J.P.) held an inquest at the Old Queen's Arms, Wright-street, on Thursday morning, February 20, on the body of Pauline Margaret Lenk, infant daughter of John Lenk, of Wright-Street. Mr. Wm. Bending was chosen Foreman of the Jury.

Eliza Brodie, married woman, living in Selby street, said she had seen the body, and recognised it as that of Emma Lenk's child. It was born at her house in November last. It was a healthy child, and remained healthy up to three weeks after its birth, when Dr. Gardner was called to see it. Thought that the mother had not a mother's feeling towards the child, and the father was not very fond of it. Mr. Lenk stopped at her house till the day after Christmas Day. The child was weaned a week before then. Had had the child under her charge, and the doctor said it was improving with her. By Detective Hammill - Could not say whether deceased would have lived under her care. By a Juror - Had not had words with Mrs. Lenk about the child. William Gardner, medical practitioner, said he first saw deceased about December 9.

He was suffering then from profuse diarrhoea. Recommended the mother to begin artificial feeding. She gave it cow's milk and Neave's food, and it improved for some time. Last saw it alive on February 3, at his consulting-room. It was then more emaciated than when he first saw it. Gave the mother very little hope of its recovery. Made a post-mortem examination that morning, and found the body frightfully emaciated, but there were no external marks of violence. The lungs were perfectly healthy. The left side of the heart was full of blood. The stomach and the intestines were empty. The cause of death was "syncope" or failure of the heart's action, either from inability to digest food or from artificial food being substituted for the mother's milk. By a Juror -The mother exhibited as much anxiety for the child as was consistent with her phlegmatic disposition.

Elizabeth Cook, married woman, said she kept a lodginghouse in Wright-street. Mrs. Lenk went to her place about eight weeks ago as a general servant. Her husband came a week afterwards. The baby was brought six weeks ago. There was no difference in it up to the day before it died. It took its food well and slept in a cradle by its mother's bed. No doctor attended it for 16 days before its death. Saw it last alive on Tuesday night about 11 o'clock. The mother seemed very fond of it. There had been words between Mrs. Brodie and Mrs. Lenk. Emma Margaret Lenk, mother of deceased, said she last saw her child alive on Wednesday morning, at about 20 minutes to 8. Went to look at it, as Dr. Gardner had told her to watch it. The child was alive then. Went out of the room, and returned again in three minutes and found it dead. It had had the bottle. Gave it food on Tuesday night, at 11 o'clock, and brandy and water through the night. The doctor ordered her to do so. Always gave deceased plenty of food. Thomas H. Morbey, living with Mrs. Cooke, corroborated the evidence of the previous witness. The Jury, without retiring, returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.

Emma married John LINK LENK [9032] [MRIN: 2936] in 1877 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. (John LINK LENK [9032] died in 1935 in Mildura, Vic, Australia.)