Mary Jane Scutt ca 1889-ca 1891

Thursday 02 July 1891, Birmingham Daily Post, West Midlands. Death From a Foul Midden at Aston. Yesterday, Mr. D. R. Wynter (coroner for Central Warwickshire) held an inquest at the Waterworks Taven, Lichfield Road, as to the death of Mary Jane Scutt (2) the daughter of Charles Scutt, wheelwright, 139 Lichfield Road, Aston. Charles Scutt, father of the deceased, stated that about eleven o'clock on Friday night a midden adjoining his house, and belonging to the canal company, was emptied. The smell from the refuse was very offensive, and at half-past six o'clock on Sunday morning the deceased was taken ill with violent sickness and purging. As she was worse at midday Mr. Lumby, surgeon, was called in, and he prescribed for her. After this she appeared better, but a change took place, and she died about eleven o'clock on Sunday evening. He did not think the midden had been emptied during the last two years. Since Friday night both he and his wife as well as a neighbour and a child who had been playing with the deceased, had been suffering with diarrhea. -Mr. R.H. Lumby, surgeon, -said that he prescribed for-the child,and found it in a state of uttercollapse' He was aware that the father was suffering from diarrhoea, and the mother from diarrhea and sickness. When at the house on Sunday he noticed an objectionable smell. Death, in his opinion, resulted from collapse, consequent upon diarrhea, caused by malarial poison. He was of opinion that if the midden had not been there the child's death, in all probability, would not have taken place. The jury returned a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, and added a rider that the canal company ought to have had the midden emptied oftener.] [M J S - 2yr.]