Sam Crosswood

Sam Crosswood died from an internal haemorrhage and a ruptured spleen caused by two broken ribs.

It was not known how he came by the injuries but he had earlier been seen being chased by a patient with a broom in the Refractory Ward at the hospital although no blows were seen to have been struck.

Sam Crosswood was later found crouching behind a door and fell against a post when he tried to get up and struck his face. However, he was not thought to have been badly hurt.

It was stated that Sam Crosswood frequently hid behind doors and under beds. It was said that on one occasion when he had been missing for twenty minutes he had been found hiding in the kitchen chimney.

A temporary medical officer at the hospital said that there were 35 patients in the ward with four attendants in charge of them. He said that when he was called to see Sam Crosswood on the Friday night at midnight he was dead.

At the inquest, the medical officer answered a question saying that it did not necessarily follow that if he had examined Sam Crosswood earlier he would have been able to find out what was wrong. He said that patients fought amongst themselves and sometimes got black eyes but that they were not serious.

Sam Crosswood had been removed from the ward to a separate room for observation by a night attendant who had heard him groaning. He said that he gave him brandy and sent for a doctor after he realised that Sam Crosswood was obviously very ill.

Sam Crosswood had been an inmate at the hospital for about two years and was formerly a school teacher at Shepton Mallet.

He had been a private patient at the hospital but it was said that that made no difference to his treatment.