VoL. i. No. 1 
THE CHEMIST AND DEUGGIST OF AUSTEALASIA. 
9 
Italian doctor named Gaspar Spcllini, who committed suicide 
by swallowing a quantity of morphia on the previous day. 
The deceased had been practising at Hill, and arrived in 
Sydney only a few days previously. He had been much 
depressed, and wrote to Signor Pisoni, the Italian Consul, and 
to Dr. Fiachsi, announcing his intention to commit suicide. 
These gentlemen hurried to the address, only in time to find 
Spellini in a critical condition. The verdict was that the 
deceased died from the effects of an overdose of morphia, self- 
administered. 
SurciDE BY CnLORODYNE. — At the Morgue, Melbourne, on 
November 26, an enquiry was held by Senior-Constable Hoey 
touching the death of John Ingram, watchmaker, who had 
been found dead on November 23rd in Church-street, Rich- 
mond, with an empty chlorodyne bottle by his side. The 
X^ost mortem examination showed that death had resulted from 
narcotic poisoning. The jury returned a verdict that deceased 
met his death by a dose of chlorodyne administered by him- 
self ; but there was no evidence to show for what reason it 
was taken. 
Suicide by Strychnine. — On December 14th, at Mount 
Gambler, Mr. G. G. Smith, an old and much respected resi- 
dent, committed suicide by taking strychnine. He was in 
his usual health and spirits during the day, but towards 
evening complained of feeling unwell, and a few minutes 
later fell to the floor in violent pain. He afterwards confessed 
that he had taken the poison. The dose must have been 
a very large one, nearly half an ounce. Dr. Johnson was 
called in, but was unable to relieve the patient, as the poison 
had alpady taken effect. At the inquest, the jury returned a 
a verdict of suicide during temporary insanity. 
It is stated that at Wairoa, Hawk’s Bay, New Zealand, some 
natives mistook strychnine for soda in bread-making. Five 
who ate of the bread were attacked with symptoms of poison- 
ing, and one died. Coroner’s verdict: death from accidental 
poisoning. 
At Denniston, Westport, on November 30, a girl named 
Martha Kerr, aged 12, committed suicide by drinking tea in 
which she had soaked some matches. 
On December 4, at Epsom, New Zealand, a young lady 
named Biggard died from the effects of a bee sting received 
three days before. A death from a similar cause occurred in 
the northern district a few days before. 
PoisoNiNO BY Tinned Fish. 
On December 5, at Tammda, S.A., five persons belonging 
to the family of Mrs. Mann were seized with convulsions, 
pain, and vomiting, after eating some Blaconochie’s tinned 
fresh herrings. Drs. Altmann and Ebcrhard were called in, 
and administered the usual remedies with the desired effect. 
Dr. Altmann forwarded a sam 2 ile of the fish to the Secretary 
of the Central Board of Health, who handed it to Prof. 
Rennie, Government analyst. His report was read at the 
meeting of the Board on December 15. 
He discovered in the fish comparatively large quantities of 
oxide of tin (amounting to J grain of the oxide to about a 
tables^ioonful of fish), and also traces of lead. He considered 
that these com^iounds may have been formed either by care- 
lessness in using “spirits of salt ” for soldering the tin, or by 
the action of the contents of the tin on the solder, &c. The 
Board resolved, after discussion, to recommend the public to 
use great caution in the use of fish in tins bearing this 
brand. 
Information of this case, and similar cautions, have been 
forwarded to the Central Boards of Health of the other colo- 
nies. _Dr. Rose, at the Meeting of the Central Board of Health, 
Victoria, exjiressed his opinion that the symptoms were those 
of true fish poisoning, not those of poisoning by tin salts. 
A family named Bowen were poisoned by eating tinned 
sardines at Burra, S.A., on December 21. All recovered 
under the treatment of Dr. Gangster. 
CHOLEEA. 
The following was published for general information as a 
Government notice in the Noi’th Borneo Gazette^ We reprint 
it for convenience of reference ^ 
A. — Precautionary Treatment. 
— To Prevent an Epidemic. — Attend carefully to water 
suiypbj and drainage : close all wells that can possibly be con- 
taminated by selvage, and if possible all surface wells ; depend 
on deep springs, or on streams coming from a safe direc- 
tion, and above any site of possible contamination. Remove 
all filth and collections of rubbish, clean out and disinfect 
(with carbolic acid, Condy’s fluid, or lime) all cesspools, flush 
with water containing a little carbolic acid any drains that are 
not naturally kept well flushed by rain. 
2. — During an Epidemic. — General Precautions : Isolate the 
sick if jiossible. The vomited matters and stools of persons 
suffering from cholera should be at once disinfected with car- 
bolic acid and water (1 ^lart to 20), and either deeply hurled at 
a distance from houses or wells or at once carried out to sea. 
On the termination of the case the bedding and clothes should 
he burned, the room disin fected. The bodies of the dead should 
have the coffin filled up with lime, charcoal, and carbolic 
acid, and be buried dee^ily as quickly as jiossible. 
3. — During an Epidemic. — Individual Precautions : Attend 
to cleanliness, carefully boil and filter all used for drink- 
ing purposes. On the first signs of the least tendency to 
diarrlum, take either thirty drops of chlorodyne with a small 
dose (dessert to tablesiioonful) of castor oil, or one or two lead 
and opium pills ; avoid the excessive use of /raff (es 2 )ecially 
unrii^e fruit). Avoid anything likely to exhaust or deiwess the 
system, avoid excess in stimulants. Avoid in yourself and try 
to prevent in others unreasonable dread of the disease. 
B. — Curative Treatment. 
1. — First Stage. — Marked by a copious watery diarrhoea ; 
prostration ; a feeling of sinking in the stomach, and nausea. 
Give four grains of acetate of lead along with either one 
grain of opium or thirty drops of laudanum or chlorodyne, 
and twenty drops of tincture of ginger. ReiDeat if necessary 
until three doses have been given. Keep the patient in bed ; 
iflace a large mustard poultice all over the abdomen for half- 
an-hour. Give no food or water. 
2. — Second Stage. — Marked by “ rice-water” stools, and 
vomit, thirst, burning jiain at the pit of the stomach, cramps, 
pulse rapid and weak, slight coldness of skin and liridity. 
If the treatment for the first stage has not already been 
given, commence with that. Thereafter give every second 
hour a draught containing three grains of acetate of lead, 
fifteen drops of dilute acetic acid, and two drops of cayajiuti 
oil in water ; and every alternate hour, fifteen drops of sul- 
phuric acid in water. Hot water bottles, and rubbing with 
cayaputi oil or camphor liniment for the cramps. (If the 
vomiting and purging do not diminish in three hours, may 
give in addition one drop of liquor arsenicalis every hour for 
six hours). No water during this stage, except what is given 
along with the medicine. 
3. — Third, or Collapse Stage. — Marked by diminution of 
purging, and vomiting, clammy perspiration, pulse not to be 
felt at the wrist, rajiid breathing, marked lividity, and i^inch- 
ing of the features, urine supiiressed. 
Continue the sulphuric acid, heat, and friction, but give no 
oxiium in this stage. Give small quantities of water, and if 
necessary brandy, champagne, or diffusible stimulants (spirit 
of ammonia, spirit of camphor, cayaputi oil, &c.) in small 
quantities. Emenas of beef tea and brandy every three hours. 
4. — Stage of Re-action. — Gradual improvement of jiulse, 
temperature, and resjiiration. 
Avoid unnecessary treatment ; give enemas as above, and 
arrowroot, &c., by the mouth in small quantities. If sup- 
in-ession of urine continues, apply a mustard poultice over 
the loins, and give half pint of water or very dilute milk and 
water every two hours. 
JAMES H. AVALKER, A.M., M.D., 
Principal Medical Officer. 
Sandakan, 19th September, 1885. 
It is proposed to establish at Thames a school of mines, 
under the charge of Mr. Montgomery. An association is to be 
formed, the fee for membership being fixed at 10s. per annum ; 
the members to elect a committee of management ; subscrip- 
tions to be solicited from the public to give the school a start ; 
a iDrofessor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, to be ap- 
pointed, and another person as assayer. The public are to be 
admitted to the lectures on payment. A small fee is to be 
charged for assays, and the teachers are to visit Ohinemuri, 
Te Aroha, and Coromandel periodically. 
A paragraph in the S.A. Chronicle states that a Russian 
traveller, Fodtschenke, in Turkestan, has discovered a plant 
which is a specific against cholera and typhus. It is the well 
known sumbul. 
