VPRS 24 Cons P0000, unit No 361 Inquest into the death of Bernard Doran:
Deposition of his widow Sarah Doran dated 23 August 1877, residing at Hanner Street, Williamstown, Victoria
My husband Bernard (sic) Doran was taken ill on Saturday night of taking a great shivering. He has been suffering from a bad cough for about a month or nearly so. When he took the shivering he was quite sober he went out and got two or three glasses of whiskey and returned about eight o’clock and went to his bed still complaining of pain all night in his left side and the cough awful. I went to the chemist and got a plaster for him but it did no good. On Monday I sent for Dr Figg and he came about 11 o’clock in the day. He prescribed for him and saw him again at night. The doctor saw him again yesterday about twelve when he found my husband up at the fireside when I said he could not lie down the doctor was angry with him for being up and said he would not give him anything nor see him today but would see him tomorrow and left. When the doctor left my husband went to bed. He …. all day and during the night I lay down and fell asleep when I awake again in a short time I found him nearly gone and died about five o’clock.
The doctor gave powders blisters and poultices. The doctor told me he was dangerously ill. I think the doctor might have told me more about him and as to whether he would get better or not.
He was 45 years old and had been in the army and received a pension of nine pence a day. He was born in the county of Meath, Ireland. He had been at Swan River two years, in Adelaide about five years and Victoria about six years.
He was addicted to drink when he could get it but has been (I may say) a teetotaller for two months.
I did not expect him to die so suddenly.
Dr Figg gave his deposition and the jury found that Bernard Doran had died from Pneumonia and no blame could be attached to Doctor Figg.