http://www.historyhouse.co.uk/articles/visitation_of_god.html

David Evans

This categorization of death (one which was distinct in the jury verdicts from accidental death) seems to have been invoked when death arose inexplicably, or when it followed actions which were not regarded as being likely, under normal circumstances, to have resulted in a fatality. The exact cause of death is rarely noted.

Listed in the 1909 Manual of the International Causes of Death 2nd Revision As: Cause of death not specified or ill defined. [MICD1909]

It would be interesting to know how they decided what was mentally incompetent.
Perhaps it was mentally retarded versus mentally ill? Either way they would not be responsible for their actions.

Nowadays the verdict would be 'whilst the balance of the mind was disturbed'.
In those days it was much more to the point Verdict Lunacy!

Felo de se, Latin for "felon of himself," is an archaic legal term meaning suicide. In early English common law, an adult who committed suicide was literally a felon, and the crime was punishable by forfeiture of property to the king and what was considered a shameful burial. A child or mentally incompetent person, however, who killed him- or herself was not considered a felo de se and was not punished post-mortem for his or her actions. The term is not commonly used in modern legal practice.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felo_de_se

Much appreciated
Chris

It appears that Hydrophobia has two meanings

Hydrophobia
Extreme or irrational fear of water, esp. as a symptom of rabies in humans.

Rabies
A contagious and fatal viral disease of dogs and other mammals that causes madness and convulsions, transmissible through the saliva to humans. Also called hydrophobia.