Worthing Gazette 1924
Death from Lockjaw - Punctured Wound in Big Toe - How it was Caused
A man of 53 years, Ralph Teesdale, of 4, Elmwood Terrace, West Worthing, died in the Hospital last Tuesday from pneumonia following tetanus.
His death was the subject of an inquiry by the West Sussex Coroner (Mr F.W. Butler), held at the Hospial on Thursday afternoon, when a son of deceased, Christopher Ralph Teesdale, 42, Tarring Road, described his father as a milk carrier.
Mrs Lilian Annie Teesdale, the widow, stated that on her husband returning home about half-past 10 or 11 o'clock on the morning of Friday, November 28th, he said he had dropped a churn on to his toe. He added that it had happened so many times before that he did not take any particular notice of it, but he bathed the toe, and she noticed it was pierced underneath. It was a clean wound. He bandaged it, and returned to his work. He was accustomed to return home at that time in the morning. He continued to go to work until Tuesday morning, December 9th, when his toe gave him trouble and she poulticed it, thinking there was something in it. The following day she sent for a doctor, as he was in pain in the stomach. He was taken to the Hospital on the 10th, and died there on Tuesday morning.
Tetanus - Dr. Duncan Davidson Mackintosh said he was called to deceased on the Wednesday morning, when he complained mostly of pains in the abdomen, which was evidently due to rigidity of the abdominal muscles. He also complained of pains in his back and neck, also due to rigidity of muscles. He was also sweating tremendously, which was a symptom. On examination he found a small punctured wound on the underside of the ball of the left big toe, and this was discharging a little moisture. Inflammation extended over the top of the foot. He was suffering from tetanus, and witness advised his removal to the Hospital. He considered the tetanus the direct result of the wound in the toe, and death was due to this.
Dr. Dorothea Sandison, the House Surgeon at the Hospital, said deceased was suffering from lockjaw when admitted to the institution, and later he developed pneumonia. She agreed with Dr. Mackintosh as to the nature of the wound.
Mr M. Fortesque Daines, haulage contractor, of 32, Gratwick Road, told the coroner that the deceased had been employed by him for about three years, as a helper to the driver of a milk lorry. It was part of his duty to load and unload churns of milk. Deceased had never said anything to him about having hurt his toe or his foot with a churn. It was not until the morning that deceased entered Hospital that he heard it suggested that he had hurt himself with a churn, and it was Dr. Mackintosh who then spoke to him of this.
Had Mended His Boots - William Felix Baker 72, Rowlands Road, the driver of the milk lorry, explained that he and the deceased collected milk from the farms to deliver to dairies in Worthing. One morning about a fortnight or three weeks ago deceased arrived late, and when asked what was the matter, he replied that he had had to stop and take off his boot because of a nail hurting his foot. Deceased then added that he had repaired his boots the previous day. He said nothing about dropping a churn on his foot, and witness never noticed him walking lame. The first suggestion that he heard about dropping a churn was on the Wednesday when deceased was taken to the Hospital.
The Coroner recorded that death was due to pneumonia following tetanus, the result of a punctured wound under the ball of the big toe of the left foot.