The Inquest

Yesterday morning an inquest was conducted at the Waggon and Horses Inn, Rushden by Mr. J. C. Parker, Deputy Divisional Coroner, into the circumstances of the death of Mr. Harry Rooksby Warren, aged 57, which occurred the previous day at his home, 59, High-street South, Rushden.

Mrs. Clara Warren, widow of the deceased, said that her husband was a Council labourer. He had not been ill all his life until this week; in fact he had always been a very healthy man. On Monday he had an attack of diarrhoea. He came home that day at 3.45 p.m. instead of at five, and complained of his "insides" hurting him so much. He had a cup of hot tea, but was no better. During the night he was out of bed a lot through pain. Next morning he got up and went to see the doctor. He returned, and on Tuesday evening he was about the same. He had a poor night. He got up about 5.30a.m. on Wednesday night and went out into the yard and then returned to bed. She took him tea at seven o’clock. At 7.30 she saw him again and asked if wanted his medicine, and he said, "No, not until later. She got the children off to school, and, going upstairs at 9.30 found him dead. She sent for the doctor. Her husband had been wet through several times last week at work. He had taken the medicine regularly that the doctor prescribed.

Dr. O. A. J. N. Muriset said that the deceased came to his surgery about 9.30a.m. on Tuesday complaining of diarrhea and pains in the abdomen. He was very ill. Wintness could not then make a particular diagnosis, but he prescribed for diarrhea. Witness did not see him again until Wednesday morning when the patient was dead. There was no superficial sign of the cause of death. That morning (Thursday) he had made a post mortem examination, and he found that there was acute inflammation of the bowels. The lungs showed evidence of old disease. There was fatty degeneration of the heart and degeneration of the liver and kidneys. Death was due to acute toxaemia affecting the degenerated organs. He was unable to say definitely what the toxin was but it was probably influenza. Death was caused by acute enteritis.

 In reply to a question by the Coroner, the Doctor said that the body of the deceased was prematurely aged by more that ten years. He did not think getting wet last week would make any difference at all.

The Coroner recorded a verdict of “Death from a natural cause – namely, acute enteritis”.