Obituaries Australia

An inquest was held at Dederang on Friday before Mr P. J. Dwyer, J.P., deputy coroner, and a jury of seven, touching the death of Arthur Woodslde, a respected resident, who died very suddenly on the previous Wednesday evening.

Patrick Maher, publican, deposed that he knew deceased, who had been frequently at his house during the past six months. He was at his house from the morning of the day of his death until three or four o'clock. He remarked that a day's spell would do him good, and that he was glad the rain came. His death took place in his presence between five and six o'clock on Wednesday evening.

Michael Quinane, constable of police, deposed that he identified the body as that of Arthur Woodside. He saw him about two hours before he died on Wednesday evening, at Maher's hotel. He was then apparently in good health.

Dr Mueller deposed that he had made a post mortem examination on the body. There were no external marks of violence. The face and the whole of the extreme tissue of the body were very pale. He found the brain healthy, with a good deal of venous but not serous effusion, but nothing to ac- count for death. The lungs were very pale and anemic, but healthy. The heart was extremely diseased. The whole of the surface was tightly adhering to the pericardium, as the result of pericarditis, which probably preceded some years. The whole of the right side of the heart was very much distented and filled with semi-fluid dark blood. The substance of the heart was very flabby throughout, denoting great muscular weakness. The organs of the abdomen were all healthy except the liver, which was enlarged and in a state of intense biliary congestion. The stomach contained a quantity of recently taken food. No signs of irritation such as follow a drinking bout were noticeable. The primary cause of death he put down to the diseased state of the heart; the secondary cause the enlarged state of the liver pressing upwards and impeding the heart's action. Probably, although over-exertion and intense heat may have accelerated death, deceased was at all times liable to die from deficient heart action.

Ellen Blanche Woodside, wife of deceased,, deposed that he had been complaining for three days of weakness and pains in his heart. Before he went away on Wednesday, he was not well, and he could not eat in the morning. When he returned at about five o'clock she asked him to have some dinner, and he said he would, but before it was ready he said he could not take any. Then he went and laid down. She looked at him shortly afterwards, and he said he felt ill and would lie down again. She led him to the door, where he fell down in a faint. After a minute or two he got up and walked on the verandah, where he had another fainting fit, and when he came to he asked for something to drink. He then had another fit. He never came to again, and died in her presence.

The jury found that the deceased, Arthur Woodside, died at Dederang on the eleventh day of January, the cause of death being disease of the heart.