487 
MISCELLANEA. 
Death from Drinking “ Braudee.” —An inquest has been held at Leeds on the 
body of Emma Longfellow, a child eight weeks old. It appears from the evidence 
that the deceased was attacked with diarrhoea, and her mother obtained from Mr. Jacob 
Naylor, druggist, a pennyworth of methylated spirit, called “ Indian Brandee,” which 
was recommended to her for the complaint referred to. She gave the child a dose on 
the Saturday night, another on Sunday morning, and a third between four and five 
o’clock on Monday morning ; about half-past eight on the same morning the child was 
found dead in bed. Mr. Brameld, surgeon, who made a 'post-mortem examination of the 
body, was of opinion that death had resulted from congestion of the brain, caused, or at 
all events accelerated, by the methylated spirit. The druggist stated that he obtained 
the spirits from Mr. T. S. Naylor, manufacturing chemist, Hunslet, and that he was 
advised to use it in cases of diarrhoea; he had since destroyed his stock of the article. 
The inquiry was adjourned for the purpose of having the “ Brandee ” analysed, and to 
procure the attendance of the manufacturer. 
Poisoning by Prussic Acid.— Dr. Lankester held an inquiry on Tuesday evening, 
February 20, at the Western Dispensary, Marylebone Road, respecting the death of 
William Hesketh, aged forty, porter at that institution, who, as appeared from the evi¬ 
dence, died from taking prussic acid by mistake for an ordinary mixture. The deceased 
had a bottle of medicine made up, which he placed in a cupboard where the poisons 
were kept. On Sunday morning last, he went, as was supposed, to take some of the 
medicine, and drank from the bottle containing the prussic acid. The mistake was made 
known to the resident surgeon, Mr. Shore, by whom an antidote was administered, but 
the deceased shortly afterwards fell back and expired. The two bottles, it seems, were 
very close to each other, the one containing the poison being labelled; the contents oi 
both were colourless. The post-mortem examination bore out the cause Oi death as 
stated, and the jury returned a verdict of “ Death from prussic acid accidentally taken. 
Suicide by Essential Oil of Almonds— The following case is recorded in the 
‘Manchester Examiner.’ On Monday, Nov. 27, an inquest was held at Bolton to inquire 
into the cause of the death of a young woman, named Catherine Joyce, a domestic ser¬ 
vant, aged 24, who died suddenly on the previous Friday. Mr. W. E. Whitehead, con¬ 
fectioner, Deansgate, said deceased came into his service as a domestic servant, on the 
12th of August last. On Friday night he discharged deceased from his service without 
notice, paving her a week’s wages in advance. She appeared much distressed in mind 
in consequence. Witness had missed some money out of the shop-drawer, and called 
the deceased and three other servants together, and told them some money was missed 
out of the till, and asked if any of them knew anything respecting it. They all denied 
any knowledge of it. Witness afterwards consulted Mr. Harris, superintendent of police, 
and his advice, under the circumstances, was to discharge deceased without giving any 
specified reason. During the time she had been in witness’s service she had been accus¬ 
tomed to purchase a poison known as “almond-flavour.” She had purchased that article 
for them during the week. Deceased had been informed that almond-flavour was a 
poison, and the bottle containing it was labelled “ poison.’ Deceased had always done 
her duty up to the time she was discharged in a most satisfactory manner. Mr. Thomas 
Goodman, druggist, said between 8 and 9 o’clock on Friday night a woman came to 
his shop and purchased some almond-flavour. He never saw her before. When he 
purchased “essential oil of almonds” it was not a poison, being puichased free nom 
prussic acid; but it generated prussic acid by age. Essential oil of_almonds contained 
from 8 to 14 per cent, of prussic acid, but before he purchased it it was freed from 
prussic acid by some process. Jonathan Fell, labourer, residing in Back Garden Street, 
said that about twenty minutes to 9 o’clock on Friday night, he was going up Kay 
Street, and saw deceased going along the street. She flung something from her mouth. 
She was staggering at the time, and shortly fell to the ground. Witness went to her 
assistance; she was foaming at the mouth, breathed quick, her hands clenched, and was 
oroaning. She was quite insensible, and was removed to a beerhouse adjacent, but died 
before she reached there. Dr. Steele proved that death was the result of an overdose^ cf 
prussic acid. Essential oil of almonds was always poisonous, and he had never heard of it 
being sold without containing prussic acid. The jury found that the deceased committed 
