Death from stays

DEATH FROM STAYS.— An inquest was held at Stepney, on view of the body of Miss Betsy Harris, a young woman, twenty two years of age.b Mr. Richard Pater, surgeon, stated that, on Sunday evening last, he was sent for to attend the deceased. On going to her mother’s house, he found her lying on the carpet in the back parlour. She was then quite dead, but the body was not cold. For the satisfaction of her friends, he opened a vein in the arm, but only a few drops of blood followed the incision. On that morning he opened the body and head of the deceased, and found the brain in a state of congestion.This, he imagined, was produced by compression on the descending aorta from a very hearty meal, and great pressure from the stays of the deceased, which, at the time of her death, was really incredible.

The effect of the pressure was, that the blood was prevented from passing in its ordinary course to the lower extremities, and consequently caused a greater flow of it to the lungs and brain. The heart, the lungs, the stomach, and intestines, were perfectly healthy, but the two latter were considerably distended with fluids and food. There was an excessive quantity of roast beef and spinach in the stomach, which appeared to have been but recently taken. He was of opinion that the congestion of blood on the brain, which she was predisposed to from her make, and which was occasioned by the pressure he had before described, produced apoplexy, which was the cause of the death of the deceased.

Mrs. Rogers, a neighbour, deposed, that, about half-past eight o'clock on Sunday evening, she was called in to see the deceased. Deceased lay apparently lifeless. She (witness) assisted in unloosing her clothes, which were extremely tight round the body. Her stays were laced so tight, as in witness's, opinion, to cause a very unhealthy and improper pressure. Indeed, she did not know how the deceased could have borne them on, and was not surprised at their having occasioned her death. The deceased lived with her mother and sister, and, as far as witness was able to judge, they lived on the most friendly and affectionate terms with each other. Witness saw the deceased on Sunday morning, when she appeared in perfect health.

Mrs. Anne Maria Wood, sister to the deceased, said, that she was at the house of her mother on Sunday evening, when the deceased died. Throughout the day she was in excellent health and spirits, and ate a hearty dinner about one o’clock. She made no complaint of illness during the evening, but merely once or twice said that she felt rather sleepy. About eight o’clock the deceased was standing with her mother at the front door, admiring the beauties of the moon, when, all at once, she fell back in the hall, exclaiming, “Oh! mamma,” and never spoke more.

The Jury, without hesitation, returned a verdict, “that the deceased died of apoplexy, produced by her stays being too tightly laced.”