POISONING BY CALABAR BEANS. 
135 
griping pains, and vomited constantly. For several liours Dr. Wollaston and Mr. 
Evans were busily employed in attending to tliese patients, and their efforts were so 
far successful that by last evening the greater number of the children were in a fair 
way of recovery, although it will be some days before they are quite well. Several 
children were also taken to the Southern Dispensary, where they were properly at¬ 
tended to. It is probable that others were provided for at their own homes, so that 
altogether about fifty children were affected by the poison. Upon examination, the 
poisonous agent was ascertained to be the Old Calabar Bean {JBhy so stigma venenosum ). 
Inquest.— An inquest was subsequently held by Mr. P. F. Currey, the borough 
coroner, for the purpose of inquiring into the circumstances attending the extraordi¬ 
nary poisoning of children in Toxteth Park, on Wednesday, the 10th instant, and 
more particularly into the death of Michael Bussell, a little boy six years of age, whose 
parents resided at 15, New Bird Street. 
The first witness called was Jane, wife of Michael Bussell, a joiner, who said that 
on Thursday week the deceased, who had been out to play, came home about two 
o’clock. He was crying, and on entering the house fell on the floor, and in answer to 
his mother, said he had been eating some nuts which he had found on some waste 
ground close by the school in Greenland Street. She took him to the Southern 
Hospital. 
Thomas Costain, overlooker for the Company of African Merchants, carrying on 
business in Walmer Buildings, Water Street, stated that the barque c Commodore,’ 
which belonged to them, and lay in the Queen’s Basin, was discharged eight or nine 
days ago. Her cargo consisted of palm oil, Calabar beans, and ebony. He did not 
know that there were any beans taken from the vessel, as he had given strict orders to 
the porter on the quay, and the lumpers engaged in discharging the vessel, to pick 
them all up, as they were valuable. He said this because he had seen some of them 
scattered about. On leaving the vessel last Wednesday week he gave orders to the 
foreman porter, William Frith, to send for Mr. Griffiths, who was in the habit of buy¬ 
ing the sweepings of the company’s vessels. He did not give orders to any carter to 
remove the rubbish. 
Samuel Price, a carter, living at 15, Crump Street, stated that on Wednesday or 
Thursday week he was employed by one of Mr. Tobin’s workmen to remove a load of 
rubbish from the quay of the Queen’s Basin, but the man gave him no direction where 
to take it. He was to have 2s. for removing it, and he deposited it on the waste land 
between New Bird Street and Greenland Street. He never laid anything down in 
that place before from ships, and he thought he was doing no harm. He did not 
observe any beans like those produced amongst the rubbish. 
Inspector Moore deposed that having had his attention drawn to a number of 
children who were being conveyed to the hospital, in consequence of having been 
poisoned by eating the beans, he iiad the rubbish buried in the soil-yard in Vauxhall 
Boad, having first separated the beans from it and taken them to the Jordan Street 
Bridewell. The carter Price, having been brought to him as the person by whom the 
rubbish had been deposited on the land, said he had been employed by the overlooker 
for the barque ‘ Commodore ’ to remove the rubbish, and that he was desired to take 
it to the north end, but the price being so small he deposited it in the waste land in 
Greenland Street, being nearer. 
Mr. James Irvine, general merchant, No. 31, Temple, Dale Street, stated that the 
Calabar beans had latterly been brought as part of cargoes in ships from Calabar. In 
this country they were used as a lotion for the eye ; but in Calabar they were used for 
poisoning entirely. They varied in their effects ; sometimes half a bean would poison 
a man, when twenty beans would not if they induced vomiting. 
Police-officer James Storey, 802, deposed to the steps which he took for the reco¬ 
very of the beans in the possession of children in the neighbourhood, at home, in the 
streets, and at school. He found out Price the carter, who said he had been engaged 
by some one from Mr. Tobin’s to remove the rubbish to the north end, but the pay 
was too small for taking it so far, and he thought it no harm to place it where he did. 
Dr. Galston Wollaston, house-surgeon at the Southern Hospital, said when the de¬ 
ceased was brought to that institution he was in a state of extreme collapse, from 
which he never rallied, and died in less than half an hour. Upon making a post-mortem 
