A man named Albany Hall, who was a paperruler in the employ of HeS3rs Fergusson and Mitchell, died on Saturday afternoon at his residence, Forbury road, South Dunedin, from the effects of arsenical poison, taken in mistake. It seems that about half-past 7 on Friday evening, Hall took in the dark what he thought to be a seidlitz powder. During the night and next morning he vomited and purged almost continuously until about midday on Saturday he began to think he might have taken some "rough on rats," which he had kept in the same drawer as the seidlitz powder. His wife went to see, and found that the "rough on rats" was gone. About 2 o'clock Dr Teevan was sent for, and went out immediately, when he found that Hall was suffering from arsenical poisoning. He prescribed the usual antidote, but the man had imbibed the poison too long for this to prove effectual, and death ensued about 5 o'clock. An inquest will be held this afternoon. -Evening Star, 15/9/1890.
ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES
At the Inquest at Caversham yesterday on the body of Albany Hall, who died on Saturday evening from the effects of taking "Rough on rats," Dr Teevan expressed the opinion that some restriction should be placed on the sale of the poison in question, as it was a very deadly one, but was not known to be so by the general public. He also stated that two deaths from taking the poison (including that of Mr Hall) had occurred to his own knowledge within six weeks. -Evening Star, 16/9/1890.
INQUEST.
An inquest was held at Forbury road, Caversham, yesterday afternoon, before Mr Coroner Carew, on the body of Albany George Frederick Anthony Hall, who died on Saturday from the effects of taking "rough on rats."
Louisa Hall, wife of the deceased, stated that her husband was born in Cheshire, England, and had been in the colony for six years. He was a bookbinder by trade, and had been in the employ of Messrs Fergusson and Mitchell for about five years. He had not been at work for a week or two, on account of trade being sick. On Friday morning he seemed in his usual condition. He went out for a little while, and returned at about 10 o'clock. After dinner he lay down on his bed, but did not make any complaint. About 7 o'clock he got up and came out of his bedroom into the kitchen. Witness did not see him take anything. He went out without taking any tea, but he had often done so before. He came back again in a short time, when he returned he said he felt sick. Witness told him that he had better go to bed, and he would probably be all right in the morning. He went to bed, and after a while he complained of being in great pain. He was also vomiting, and suffered from diarrhoea. This continued all night till 11 o'clock the next morning. About that time witness' son came in, and her husband said to witness, "Loo, go to my drawer and see whether I have made a mistake. Last night before I went out I mixed a seldlitz powder. It was in the dark. I mixed two little packets into a glass." He pointed to the corner of the drawer and said if she could not find a packet of "rough on rats" there he must have taken it with a packet of seidlitz powder; it was in a white paper the same as a seidlitz powder. Witness looked into the drawer, but could not find the paper. He then said, "I must have taken "rough on rats." Witness did not know that he kept seidlitz powders in the drawer, but she knew that he frequently took them, she knew that he had some "rough on rats," but did not know where he kept it. He got the poison to poison the mice in the house. Witness did not find any seidlitz powders in the drawer. Deceased sent his son up to the chemist's for an emetic, and told him to tell the chemist what it was for. The boy got the emetic and deceased took it. The chemist said to the boy, "The best thing you can do is to send for the doctor at once," and witness did so. She sent for Dr Teevan and was told that he could not come. He, however, came subsequently. Dr Teevan attended to deceased, but he died at about a quarter to 5 o'clock. Witness did not see deceased take the seidlitz powder, but deceased told him that he took it in the kitchen. She did not see any seidlitz powder papers about. She asked deceased where she was when he took the seidlitz powder, and he said she was out somewhere. She noticed a glass on the dresser which bad been used, and she washed it. She did not know what had been in the glass. She did not think her husband was worried at all. He did not seem to have anything on his mind. Before he died he told her that he did not take the "rough on rats" intentionally. Deceased was 39 years of age. He told witness he got the "rough on rats" about six months ago from Mr Adams, but it was never used. After they got the poison they obtained a cat and had no occasion to use it.
Dr Teevan stated that at 2.15 p.m. on Saturday he was requested to go and see a man at Caversham who had mistakenly taken "rough on rats." Witness replied that he could not go, as he had an urgent case to attend at Belleknowes. He, however, thought that as it was a case of poison he should go. He accordingly went, and arrived at the deceased's house at a quarter to 3. He found the deceased in bed in a collapsed condition. The pulse was quite extinct, the body cold and clammy. The deceased was vomiting violently at the time. He complained of a burning pain in the stomach and great heat of the throat. As these were some of the symptoms of arsenical poisoning witness prepared the usual antidote, which he brought out with him, and gave it to the deceased, although, from the lapse of time since the poison had been taken, he did not expect that the antidote would be of much service. He also took the other ordinary precautions in a case of the kind, and when he left deceased, in about an hour's time, the pain in the stomach was less intense than it had been. When he left he said he would be back in half an hour. He was, however, delayed, and did not return till 5 o'clock. The deceased was then dead. He told witness before his death that, instead of taking a seidlitz powder as he intended doing, he must have taken about a teaspoonful of "rough on rats" as one of the powders. Witness searched the drawer himself, but could not find anything. The symptoms he observed were such as he would expect to find if he had taken "rough on rats." He believed deceased's death was due to arsenical poisoning.
George Simpson Adam, machine paper ruler, in the employ of Messrs Ferguseon and Mitchell, stated that the deceased was a fellow workman of his. About two years ago witness got a small quantity of " rough on rats" from a young man to poison a dog. He, however, did not use it, but kept it in his workroom in a box. There was a very small quantity in a small seed packet paper. The deceased told Mrs Hall that he got the poison from witness. He, however, did not remember giving it to him, but possibly he might have done so. He missed it about a year ago. It was kept in the shop, and any of the employes could get it if they wanted it for rats. He had not seen the deceased for about a fortnight. He did not think he was a likely man to take poison intentionally.
To Sergeant Morice: There was no label on the packet when he got it. He got it for immediate use, but as the dog got better he did not use it.
To a Juryman: Deceased had been very temperate for the last two and a-half years to witness' knowledge.
Henry Pickford, chemist, residing at Caversham, gave evidence as to giving deceased's son an antidote for "rough on rats," and as to telling him to send at once for a doctor.
The jury, after some consideration, returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from taking "rough on rats," but that the evidence was not sufficient to enable them to determine whether it was taken intentionally as a poison or not. -Otago Daily Times, 16/9/1890.
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