US president ‘very sick’

San Franscico July 30: Mr Harding, who has been suffering from ptomaine poisoning for several days, has taken a turn for the worse. This has resulted in the cancellation of all his touring arrangements. The President is confined to his bed at his hotel. His personal physician during the early hours of this morning called other doctors into consultation, including a heart specialist. While the physicians avoid alarming announcements regarding the President’s condition, it is known that he is a very sick man. His temperature is 101, and his pulse 118. The physicians’ bulletin states that his condition is acute, and that he has temporarily overstrained his cardio-vascular system by carrying on his speaking engagements while he was ill. Mr Harding has been subject to slight heart attacks in the past.

July 31: Mr Harding spent a restful night. His condition is improving.

‘Careless’ to leave gun loaded

An inquest concerning the death of Evelyn Florence Taylor, who was accidentally shot by her brother at Macandrew’s Bay on Tuesday evening, and who died subsequently in the hospital, was held yesterday. Mr J.B. Bartholomew SM as coroner said it was a very sad fatality and one of the type which magistrates and coroners had not infrequently to deal with. So far as the little boy was concerned it was a case of pure misadventure. Considering his age, he only did what any other little boy of his age would have done in playing with a gun lying about. It was very careless to leave loaded firearms lying about. Great care should be exercised in dealing with firearms, this being a matter which coroners had to deal with from time to time. The present case again showed the extreme care which should always be used with firearms. A verdict was given that death was due to shock following a gunshot wound caused by the accidental discharge of a gun.

Councillors agree to treatment

Cr Mitchell, at last night’s meeting of the City Council, moved that the Water Committee be asked to go into the matter of purifying the water supplied from Ross Creek Reservoir and report at an early meeting of the council. In speaking to the motion, Cr Mitchell said that one of the essentials was to have good drinking water. One had only to go to the baths to see what could be done in the way of clarifying water. Cr MacManus, in seconding the motion, said that the chlorination of water was done in other places. Cr Wilson suggested that the motion should extend to other reservoirs as well as Ross Creek. Cr Begg said that as chairman of the Water Committee he welcomed the motion. After Cr Mitchell had replied, the motion was carried unanimously.

Hospital doing well

In regard to the St Helens Hospital, Dunedin, the Health Department's report states that the newly adopted ante-natal department has proved very useful. The medical students have had a number of cases, and the patients are now quite used to their presence. Dr Siedeberg, Miss Holford and Miss Gow continue to carry on as satisfactorily as usual. The number of patients admitted has increased slightly, and there have been more outdoor cases. Dr Siedeberg states in her report that there were 19 premature births, three children being stillborn, while one died. The remainder are all doing well. Three babies were detained in the hospital after the mothers were sent to the general hospital . — ODT, 2.8.1923

Compiled by Peter Dowden