CASES OF POISONING—ACCIDENTAL AND CRIMINAL. 
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Moxon arrived, and remained with Mrs. Philips for three hours. She died the following 
morning. Mr. Moxon wrote to the Coroner to the effect that an old and valued friend 
had died of poison, and that, as he was medical attendant, as well as residuary legatee 
to the property by the will of the deceased, he had asked Mr. Kesteven to make a post¬ 
mortem examination. He admitted in evidence that he had thrown the bottle, with the 
remainder of the “ Burnett’s disinfecting fluid,” with which Mrs. Philips had poisoned 
herself, into the street, “because he did not want what she had done to be known,” and 
that, seeing the impropriety of this, he had sent for the fragments of the bottle, which 
were collected and brought in. Mr. Kesteven deposed that death had been caused by 
chloride of zinc. The verdict of the jury was in accordance with the summing-up,— 
“ Suicide whilst in an unsound state of mind.” 
Accidental Poisoning by Prussic Acid. —On Wednesday, January 5th, an 
inquest was held at the ‘ College Arms,’ Crowndale Road, St. Pancras, on the body of 
James Gandy, forty years of age, who had accidentally poisoned himself by drinking 
during the night the whole of his medicine, containing thirty-six drops of prussic acid. 
It appeared that deceased was sent from the infirmary to the male iufirm ward on the 
19th of December, suffering from consumption. Complaining of sickness and diarrhoea, 
Dr. Hill, the medical officer of the workhouse, made him up some medicine containing 
thirty-six drops of prussic acid, and ordered a dose, containing three drops, three times 
per day. A dose was administered at eight in the evening of the 31st of December, 
by the day nurse, who then left the inmate in charge of the night wardsman. The 
next morning it was discovered that during the night he had drunk the whole of his 
medicine, and his account was that he took it to allay his thirst, although he had toast- 
aud-water and lemonade by the side of his bed. It was suggested that the ingredients 
in the medicine might have given him relief, and that his diseased state might have 
blinded him to the fact that he was taking poison. It was further suggested that it 
would be advisable to discontinue the practice prevalent in workhouses and hospitals 
of leaving medicines within reach of the patients. Medical evidence having been given 
to show that the deceased was treated in the customary manner, the jury returned a 
verdict of “ Died from accidentally taking an overdose of prussic acid.” 
Poisoning by Bichloride of Mercury.— On Tuesday, February 8th, an inquest 
was held at Liverpool on the body of a man named M‘Dowell, aged 20. He had suf¬ 
fered from a skin disease, and had obtained a French specific, which was ordered to be 
mixed with water and used as a bath. Instead of using it in this manner, he applied it 
to his body just as he received it. The poison was rapidly absorbed, and death resulted. 
The preparation proved to be a strong solution of perchloride of mercury. 
Accidental Poisoning by Opium. —An inquest was held by Dr. Lankester at 
Camden Town on the body of George Stapleton, who was poisoned, the day after his 
admission to the St. Pancras infirmary, by the administration of a dose of castor oil 
and opium, intended for another patient. It appeared that he was found in a very 
exhausted state, suffering from congestion of the lungs. He was taken to the infirmary, 
and was prescribed for. Dr. Ellis, the medical officer, stated that he found the 
deceased was dying, and upon inquiry ascertained that a dose of castor oil and opium 
had been given him by mistake. He rapidly sank, and died from the effects of the dose. 
The jury delivered the following verdict, “ That George Stapleton died from a dose of 
castor oil and opium given him by mistake while suffering from congestion of the lungs, 
and that they consider there was great carelessness in the sending and administration of 
the said medicine.” 
Poisoning by Aconite.— A case is recorded in the ‘ British Medical Journal' in 
-which a woman, swallowed half an ounce of liniment by mistake for castor oil. The 
dose contained 1J drachm of tincture of aconite root and 1 drachm of chloroform. She 
did not vomit for about three hours, and then, after an emetic, she recovered, and it is 
suggested that the chloroform may have acted as an antidote to the aconite. 
Poisoning by Laudanum in Mistake for Godfrey’s Cordial. —An inquest 
was held at Hemyock on the body of a child who died from the effects of laudanum. 
The child, about two months old, was ill, and the mother sent her husband to the shop 
kept by a’Mrs. Wide, for some child’s cordial. It appeared that laudanum was kept in 
