McWeeney — Cases of Carbon Monoxide Asphyxiation. 225 



solution, nor could any trace of carhoxy-hsemoglobin be detected in 

 it by the spectroscope. 



In view of the evidence of the clinical symptoms, and of the 

 results of the autopsy of the female, I concluded that death was 

 due to poisoning with carbon monoxide, and the jury so found. 



Explanation of the occurrence. — When the room was entered at 

 6.30 p.m., it was in darkness, and smelt strongly of gas, which was 

 found to be escaping from a wall-bracket, the stop-cock of which 

 was about half open. How this had come about was not fully 

 cleared up at the inquest. Possibly the luckless couple, who had 

 dwelt in the country, far from a gas-supply, may have blown out 

 the flame. There is another possibility which deserves explicit 

 mention. The corridor into which this room opened is a dark 

 one and lighted by gas. The supply to it and the rooms opening 

 off it was governed by a special stop-cock, which would appear, 

 from the evidence, to have been, at any rate occasionally, turned 

 off at night, and turned on next morning. If this had occurred on 

 the night in question, and the couple had retired to rest, leaving 

 the gas in their room lighted, the state of things found would be 

 most probably accounted for. 



Inspection of room. — I personally inspected the bedroom, and 

 noted the following points. The dimensions were 11 ft. 1 in. by 

 10 ft. 6 in., by 9 ft. 6 in. high, giving a cubic space of 1,105 ft., from 

 which the space occupied by a large wardrobe 6 ft. 7 in. high, 44 in. 

 wide, and 19 in. deep had to be deducted ; a large double bed, 

 6 ft. 5 in. long, 44^ in. wide, and 14 in. thick. There were also 

 a large dressing-table, a toilet-table, a large basket-chair, and two 

 ordinary ones — in fact, the little room may be said to have been 

 crowded up with furniture. The cubic space thus occupied I esti- 

 mated at 71 cubic feet, thus leaving only 1,034 cubic feet available 

 for respiration. There was no fireplace. On the side opposite the 

 door was a large window, which was closed, but not fastened. The 

 only ventilation at the time of the occurrence was into a dark and 

 close-smelling corridor, and was effected through two sets of aper- 

 tures, one being a series of slits in a pane of muffed glass over the 

 door. These were eighteen in number, and arranged in three 

 horizontal rows of six. Each slit was If in. long, by about j? in. 

 wide, and their conjoint area I estimated at rather less than 

 6 square inches. There was also a perforated zinc plate, pierced 



