CASES OF POISONING—ACCIDENTAL AND CRIMINAL. 
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The jury having expressed a unanimous wish to have a post-mortem examination, the 
inquiry was adjourned from 2 o’clock until 4, when Mr. John Briscoe, surgeon, stated 
that the deceased had an enlarged heart with thin muscular walls. He considered that 
death was caused by the action of chloroform on a weak heart. He did not consider it 
prudent to give chloroform without a competent assistant being present. In the ma¬ 
jority of cases he did not think it necessary to make any special examination of the heart 
before giving chloroform. The jury gave the following verdict:—“That Herbert Hild- 
yard Clarke died from the action of chloroform on a diseased heart. The chloroform 
appears to have been administered with due care and skill.” 
A man named Shakey, aged 56, an inmate of the General Hospital, Jersey, died in 
consequence of drinking chloroform. From the evidence of the head nurse, it appeared 
that he had in his possession a bottle of chloroform, and was asked by the deceased if it 
contained gin, he replied that it did not, but that “it contained stuff to send people 
to sleep,” and gave him the bottle to smell at. Shakey took the bottle, but instead of 
smelling at it, drank about a tablespoonful, he afterwards became very sleepy ; various 
means were used by the nurse to restore him, hut he died in about three hours after 
swallowing the chloroform. Dr. Godfrey said that no doubt the small quantity of chlo¬ 
roform proved fatal. He had read recently of the case of a person drinking half-a-pint 
without death ensuing. 
Accidental Poisoning- by Laudanum. —An adjourned inquest was held at 
Woolwich on Thursday, November 18th, on the body of a little girl, named Clara Jane 
Rigden, of 32, Charles Street, Woolwich. Deceased’s mother procured from a chemist’s 
shop a mixture of twopenny-worth of antimony wine and twopenny-worth of laudanum, 
and gave the deceased fifteen drops for whooping cough. Shortly after taking the mix¬ 
ture the child died. Dr. Leech, of the ‘ Dreadnought ’ Hospital Ship, and consulting 
medical officer of the Board of Trade, had analysed the mixture, which apparently con¬ 
tained 5 drams of antimony wine and drams of tincture of opium. Laudanum varied 
greatly in strength, and the mixture was of a character requiring very great care in ad¬ 
ministering it. The Coroner recommended chemists never to make up prescriptions un¬ 
less the name of a medical man was affixed to them. The jury returned a verdict of 
“ Died from an overdose of laudanum, administered in ignorance of its effects.” 
The ‘ Pall Mall Gazette’ refers to the above case as illustrating the insufficient work¬ 
ing of the Sale of Poisons Act, and observes that it is impossible by any legislative 
enactments to prevent the foolish acts of silly people, hut as chemists deal in deadly 
■wares, and are not always cautious, some more simple and efficacious safeguard should 
be provided than at present exists. 
Accidental Poisoning by Morphia. —In the ‘Toronto Globe’ a case of poison¬ 
ing by an overdose of morphia is reported. Mrs. Dickson, who had been in the habit 
of taking morphia to alleviate the pain she suffered from ulceration of the womb, on 
October 11th took a dose from a bottle containing a solution of muriate of morphia, of 
the strength of one grain of morphia in the drachm. This solution had been prepared 
on several occasions by Mr. W. S. Robinson, chemist, Yorkville,—and was labelled “ So¬ 
lution of Morphia—a teaspoonful contains one grain of morphia. Poison,”—who gave 
evidence at the inquest. From the evidence it did not appear what quantity Mrs. Dick¬ 
son swallowed, but from the opinion of Dr. Philbrick, who was called in, there appeared 
to be no doubt that an overdose had accidentally been taken, the jury returned a verdict 
accordingly. 
Poisoning by Salt of Lemon. —An inquest was held by Mr. Richards, deputy- 
coroner for East Middlesex, Thursday, October 26th, on the body of a child who had 
died from the effects of “ salt of lemon ” given by the mother, who afterwards attempted 
suicide by the same means. 
Dr. Letheby, who had made an analysis in the case of the child, stated that the 
tongue showed the presence of a corrosive or caustic agent, and the sanguineous fluid 
was very acid to the test paper, and yielded rather more than 2| grains of oxalic acid, 
equal to the same weight of acid salts of sorrel. He also received from the police a 
packet taken from the mother of the child, containing 39 grains of oxalic acid and 
potash, synonymous with salts of sorrel or salts of lemon, and which was the active 
agent in causing the death of the child. The jury returned a verdict of “ Wilful Murder ” 
against the woman. 
