H1SCELLANEA. 
664 
Poisoning by the Endermic use of Atropine. —The following case is re¬ 
lated by Dr. H. Ploss, of Leipsic:—A man, aged 33, who had an affection of the larynx, 
which was supposed to be a case of simple laryngitis by the physician who had been 
consulted, and a blister was ordered to be applied round the neck, to be dressed on the 
following day with an ointment composed of 15 parts of sulphate of atropine to 706 
parts of lard. Some minutes after the application of the ointment, the patient suddenly 
sprang from his seat, in ajstate of indescribable anguish; he ran about the room, crying 
out that he was suffocated, that everything appeared black before his eyes, and that he 
felt as if he were being strangled. He violently tore off the dressing ; and threw him¬ 
self on his couch, his eyes fixed and his face fiery red. Dysphagia and dyspnoea in¬ 
creased more and more; convulsions of the limbs set in, resembling those of chorea; 
the breathing became very frequent; the pulse rose to 140 or 150 ; the patient could 
not utter a word. An attempt was made to bleed him; but this could not be done on 
account of the constant convulsive movements. It was equally impossible to introduce 
anything by the mouth or by the rectum. The breathing soon became interrupted, 
the pulse thready, and the patipnt died, scarcely two hours after the application of the 
ointment.— Zeitschr. fur Med. Chir. und Geburtsch. and Brit. Med. Journ. 
Poisoning from Drinking Hamburg Spirits. —An inquest was held by Mr. 
Payne, deputy-coroner, relative to the death of John West, one of three men who were 
poisoned by drinking Hamburg, or, as it is familiarly called, “ amber spirits,” atFenning’s 
Wharf. The evidence showed that the deceased had been employed on No. 14 floor of the 
warehouse at London Bridge, when he was sent to another floor, where he was told by a man 
that he could “ get a drop.” He and two others drank from a cask of Hamburg spirits, 
and they w r ere all dreadfully injured. The deceased was found dead in No. 13 floor soon 
afterwards. William Ramton, the delivery foreman, said that it was the regular custom of 
the workmen to drink from the spirit casks whenever they had a chance. Mr. A. Artier, 
Custom-House gauger, stated that the spirit of which the men partook was G6‘8 degrees 
above proof, and was in fact liquid fire. Mr. Lacey, surgeon, who was called to the 
deceased, said he died from collapse after poisoning by the spirit, which acted as an 
acrid poison on the coats of the stomach. The spirit contained so little water that it 
shrivelled up any surface containing water. The jury returned a verdict of death by 
poisoning from drinking spirits. 
Robbery of Indigo.— At the Thames Police Court, Alfred Turnbull, Edward Good¬ 
ing, Peter Connor, and Samuel Arnett, a chemist, were brought up on remand, charged, 
the first three with stealing three chests of indigo, valued at £180, from the London 
Docks, and the other with feloniously receiving the property', he well knowing it to be 
stolen. 
On Friday, the 1st of the present month, 13 chests of indigo were delivered from the 
ship Wallasey, in the London Docks, and deposited in a "warehouse. Four days after¬ 
wards three chests were missing. The Thames police were employed to detect the thieves 
and .trace the property',—a duty r which has been successfully performed. A greengrocer 
and coaldealer named William Woolridge, who was allowed to give evidence for the 
Crown, said that at half-past 12 o’clock in the afternoon of the 5th of the present month 
Turnbull called upon him and asked for the loan of six coal-sacks. He complied with 
his request, and Turnbull took away six sacks. On the following day Turnbull again 
called upon him, and he accompanied him in a cart to the waterside at Cubitt Town, 
Poplar, where he backed down to a barge. Six sacks, containing something bulky', were 
brought out of a barge by Turnbull, Gooding, and Connor, and put into the cart, 
which was driven to Rosemary Lane. He met the three prisoners again near Arnett’s 
shop, and they assisted him in unloading the cart and taking the six sacks into Arnett’s 
shop. Arnett w T as there to receive them. Woolridge identified the sacks, which were 
black when he lent them to Turnbull. 
Mr. Joseph Crawley, indigo dealer, No. 91, Great Tower Street, said that Arnett called 
upon him with a sample of indigo, which he said represented 90 lb., and asked 4s. per lb. 
for it. He told Arnett it was not worth half the money. Arnett then asked him to 
advance some money upon the indigo, and he advanced him £3 upon it by a cheque pro¬ 
duced by Mr. Evans. Next day he received 95 lb. of indigo from the prisoner, and ad¬ 
vanced him £5 more by another cheque. 
Mr. Partridge said a clear primd facie case was made out, and committed the prisoners 
for trial at the next Middlesex Sessions. He refused to take bail for Arnett, or to allow' 
Woolridge any certificate for his expenses for attendance. 
