McWeeney — Cases of Carbon Monoxide Asphyxiation. 221 



his son (A. C, aged twenty-one). In the lower room slept the old 

 man's daughter and her husband. On the 15th November all 

 four persons were feeling unwell, and the son-in-law sent for 

 a doctor, who, on arrival, perceived a strong, unpleasant odour, 

 suggestive of a mixture of coal- with sewer-gas, pervading the 

 house. 



He cautioned the inmates on no account to sleep in the house 

 that night. To this warning they paid no heed, and slept there 

 as usual, retiring at 10 p.m. Next morning, between 6 and 7, 

 the son-in-law felt so unwell that he left his bed and went to the 

 Mater Hospital, where the resident pupil treated him. He had 

 vomited, and complained of headache and prostration. After a 

 time he felt better, and returned home. Nothing more was heard 

 of the family till noon on the following day (Nov. 17), when 

 another married daughter of old C. knocked, and, after some 

 delay, was admitted hj the son-in-law (the man who had called 

 in the doctor on the 15th, and had been to the hospital in the 

 early morning of the 16th). After opening the door he staggered, 

 and appeared to be giddy and stupefied. His wife's condition 

 was similar. The police were sent for ; and, on going upstairs, 

 they found the old man lying dead. The body was unclothed, 

 and lay beside the bed. The son was found sitting in a dazed 

 condition at the top of the stairs. 



Condition of survivors The son (who slept in the same room 



as the deceased) was, on admission to Dr. Redmond's ward in the 

 Mater Misericordise Hospital, found to be pale, semi-collapsed, 

 almost unable to walk ; temp, normal ; pulse 120.. He complained 

 of feeling cold, but not of headache. Unfortunately the blood 

 was not examined till next day (Monday), when it no longer 

 showed any trace of carbon monoxide. A blood-count yielded 

 reds 4,800,000, whites 10,000, about 60 per cent, of which were 

 polynuclear, and the remainder lymphocytes, small and large. 



The son-in-law, who with his wife occupied the lower room, 

 was found, on admission, to have a very slow pulse, about 48. 

 He complained of severe headache. In these respects his condi- 

 tion was the reverse of that of his brother-in-law. He was almost 

 unable to walk. His reds were 6,000,000, his whites 8,700, with 

 30 per cent, of mononuclears. Oarboxy-hsemoglobin not demon- 

 strable. 



