VoL. i. No. 2. 
0 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. 
POISONING CASES. 
An Extraordinary Aff AIK. — A singular case of blood poison- 
ing is reported by Dr. Esan to the South Au>itraJia}i Adver- 
iher : — A large black snake was killed at a place called Biack- 
lieatli, on the eastern side of the Bremer, and while being 
killed was noticed to bite itself in several places, It was Hung 
over a fence and while hanging there swelled out to unusual 
proportions. Some 21 hours afterwards Miss Buxton, out of 
curiosity, was examining it closely, and while doing so was 
almost prostrated by a most repulsive smell. Two hours 
afterwards a little sore place on her lip began swelling, and in 
three or four days her whole system showed signs of serious 
disarrangement. In the meantime the small sore on the lip 
liad formed a large hard ulcer, discharging a stream of most 
offensive matter. Dr. Esan was called to her assistance, and 
at once prescribed the strongest remedies for snake poison. 
The young lady is now out of danger, but her case should 
serve as a warning that snakes are not to be tampered with 
even after they are dead. 
^ Deaths whilst under Chloroform. — Dr. M‘Farlane,of Wan- 
garatta, proceeded to Benalla on the 15th of January, at the 
request of the district coroner, for the purpose of holding a 
post mortem examination on the body of a man named Cleary, 
who had died whilst under the influence of chloroform admin- 
istered by Dr. Nicholson for the treatment of cancer. — An 
inquest was held at the Melbourne Hospital on the 29th 
ult., on the body of James Thomas Slattery, a boy aged 13 
years, who was an inmate of the institution for hip disease. 
The deceased was a native of Colac, and the operation was to 
have been performed by Dr. Fitzgerald. Dr. Pardey adminis- 
tered the chloroform to the lad, but only three minutes had 
elapsed when he became unconscious, and there was a sudden 
stoi)page of respiration, and although every effort was resorted 
to in order to restore the breathing, all was in vain. After the 
evidence had been given that all due and usual precautions had 
been used in the administration of the drug, the jury found an 
open verdict, viz., that the deceased died from the inhalation 
of chloroform. 
• Poisoning by Laudanum. — -At Burton’s Hotel, Cooktown, on 
January 9th, there was a most determined attempt at suicide 
by a single girl named Maggie Finn, who swallowed the major 
portion of an ounce of laudanum. She was handed over to 
the custody of the police, who conveyed her to the hospital. — 
At the Prince Consort Hotel, Brisbane, onthe 6tli][Jan- 
uary, a married woman, named Jane Monroe, called for a 
glass of beer, into which (on being served) she emptied 
about two drachms of laudanum, and then drank the mixture. 
The act having been noticed, medical assistance was called in, 
and the stomach pump applied. On an analysis of the con- 
tents of the stomach having been obtained, traces of the 
laudanum were very distinct. After being conveyed to the 
hospital, where she remained until the 8th ult., the woman 
was brought before Mr Pinnock, and charged with having 
attempted to commit suicide. Afser the arresting constable’s 
evidence had been taken, she was remanded until the 13th 
January, bail allowed; one surety in £10. Her husband 
became surety for her. 
“Bough on Bats ” was the cause of an inquest in Nelson, an 
old lady named Mary Dee, aged 65, having died from its 
effects on December 23rd, 1886. “Bough on Bats” being an 
arsenical preparation, is now a scheduled i^oison in New 
Zealand. 
A case of suicide from laudanum and oil of vitriol is 
reported from Lyttelton. George Hayes, steward of the ship 
Merope, while in a state of despondency, owing to some irregu- 
larities in his accounts, drank about 3oz. of laudanum and 
4oz. of sulphuric acid. Dr. J. Guthrie and Dr. Macdonald 
were called in, but were unable to save his life. 
Poisoning by Morphia. — A coroner’s inquest was held on 
January 19th as to the cause of death of the late Dr. Carr, the 
phrenologist, who died at the Commercial Hotel, Glen limes, 
the previous night from the effects of morphia. It came out 
in evidence that the deceased admitted that the drug was self- 
administered, and that he did not expect to live beyond a few 
hours. Mr M*Kee, chemist, in evidence stated that on Fri- 
day, 15th January, Dr. Carr called at liis shop and purchased 
10 grains of morphia. The decision of the jury was that 
deceased died from the effects of morphia, but there was no 
evidence to show whether it was taken with a suicidal intent 
( ; fcilhe purpose of alleviating pain. 
Accidental Poisoning by Chloroform. — At the Morgue, 
Melbourne, on January 26th, an imiuest was held by the City 
Coroner toucliing the death of Dr. Christie, late surgeon of the 
ship Loch Etives, who recently arrived in the colony in that 
vessel, and took up his residence at the Victoria Coffee 
Palace, at which establishment he was found dead in his bed 
on the 21th ultimo. The evidence of the porter was to the 
effect that he found deceased lying on his bed fully dressed, 
holding an empty bottle in one hand, and a towel, which was 
apparently saturated with chloroform, in the other, life being 
extinct. Evidence was given by Mr S. Walker, of No. 3 
Market-street, a friend of the deceased, to the effect that Dr 
Christie was accustomed to the use of chloroform, which he 
inhaled for the purpose of easing a pain from which he 
suffered internally, and was in the habit of keeping the drug 
in his possession tor that purpose. From the surrounding 
circumstances it was judged that the occurrence arose through 
the whole contents of the bottle having been accidentally 
spilled on the towel, and that death ensued in consequence of 
the inhalation of such a large quantity of the drug. The 
jury, after hearing the medical testimony of Dr. Brett, who 
made thepo^f mortem examination, acting by the advice of the 
coroner, returned a verdict of accidental poisoning through 
chloroform. 
Poisoning by Arsenic. — Three natives who were employed 
on the Port Darwin Cricket Ground, Queensland, were 
poisoned through drinking from a tin which had contained 
arsenic. One has since died. The coroner’s jury returned a 
verdict of accidental death. 
Poisoning by Ammonia. — A man named William Adderdice, 
45 years of age, was admitted to the Melbourne Hospital on 
the 28th ultimo, suffering from poisoning by ammonia. 
Poisoning by Muriatic Acid. — Nothing new was discovered 
in reference to the death of Eliza Ann Timms who committed 
suicide at Brisbane last month by poisoning herself with 
muriatic acid, the verdict of the jury being suicide whilst 
labouring under temporary insanity. 
Poisoning by Phosphorus. — A most peculiar and successful 
attempt at suicide occurred at Muttama on Thursday evening 
14th Januajy. A man who had been suflering from rheuma- 
tism (that being the only reason apparent) drank some beer 
containing phosphorus, which he had obtained from the heads 
of matches. 
Poisoning ry Morphine. — Mine. Corder, neeLantle, a sister 
of the Marquis de Gallifet of Paris, France, has fallen a 
victim to the use of morphine. 
TBIAL OF A CHEMICAL FIBE EXTINGUISHED. 
An exhibition of the extinguishing power of the “ Climax ” 
chemical fire extinguisher and the “ Climax” hand fire grenade 
took iilace on a vacant piece of land between Swanston-street 
and the Melbourne Gaol, at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 27th ult., 
in the presence of a large number of persons. The agent for 
the invention explained before commencing operations that 
the extinguisher consisted of two tanks, each capable of hold- 
ing 3 gal. of water, and numbered 1 and 2. They were con- 
tained in two boxes, one on either side, with corresponding 
numbers ; the chemicals, when required to be used, were put 
into each tank. These chemicals dissolved in the water, and 
by pumping with a small handle affixed to the top, a stream 
charged with carbonic gas could be thrown to a distance of 
40 ft. or 50 ft. The advantage which the inventor claimed 
over existing extinguishers was that, by keeping the chemicals 
apart from the water until required for use, there was nothing 
to corrode, and as there was no pressure on the tanks there 
was no danger of an exiflosion. The hand grenade comprised 
two bottles welded together, each containing a liquid which, 
when coming in contact with each other, formed carbonic gas. 
Between the two bottles was a harmless explosive cap, which, 
when exposed to fire smashed the bottles, and thus allowed 
their contents to spill. Strong fires made in packing cases of 
wood well saturated with tar and kerosene were operated on, 
but the success was only partial . — Melbourne Argus, 
South American advices state that Dr. Freire, of the Bio 
de Janeiro, has already inoculated 5,000 persons in Brazil for 
the prevention of yellow fever, and that not one of this num- 
ber has died of the disease, although the great bulk reside in 
centres of infection. 
