FATAL ILLNESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 295, 13 December 1934, Page 7

FATAL ILLNESS.

FOOD POISONING? PUKEKOHE FAMILY. MOTHER DIES IN HOSPITAL. THREE OTHERS RECOVERING. Four members of a Pukekohe household were admitted to the Auckland Hospital early this morning, suffering from food poisoning. The mother, Mrs. Lucy Nicholson, aged 4fi, died at 10.10 a.m. The condition of the three others, Mr. Norman Nicholson, aged 47, Mr. Eric Nicholson, aged 24, a son, and Mrs. Norma Dennison, aged 22 3 a married daughter, is not regarded as serious. The members of the household—Mrs. Dennison lives at Glen Afton and was visiting her parents at the time—became ill in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Dr. H. Stewart Douglas was called, and. found the three confined to their bods. He ordered treatment, and called again on Wednesday morning, and also in the afternoon, when they appeared to be somewhat better. However, about midnight last night Dr. Douglas received another call, and this time found all four patients very much worse, and he ordered their removal to the Auckland Hospital. It was at first thought that the illness was due to ptomaine poisoning, but the family had not eaten any tinned food on Tuesday, and other food is now suspected. The police are making investigations, and the Health Department is carrying out a laboratory examination of the food eaten by the family. The Nicholson family have lived at Pukekohe East for two years. Mrs. Norma Dennison, the married daughter, went to visit her parents on Tuesday. An inquest will be held into Mre. Nicholson's death.