POISONING CASES.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19622, 18 May 1929, Page 21

POISONING CASES.

fc, r ** SirTOt nw THE pis^a of tho of the Stipendiary Magistrate, Mr .® ar *" n («*eiK>rted in The Prksi *hen dealing with a recent* ***** U wiU inteieating

to readers to note that a few years ago the newspapers agreed not to mention in their reports the name of a particular poison. At the time it was quite the vogue for would-be suicides to take Lysol, a deadly poison. During the period of my chairmanship of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association of New Zealand, the Medical Association made representations to the Association. I asked the proprietors not to mention this particular poison in their reports, urging, as Mr Barton does, that the mere mention of it acted as a suggestion to those who were inclined to take their lives. The Association unanimously agreed to accede to the request. The result of the omission by editors of this particular poison had immediate results, and the name "Lysol" gradually "faded away, so far a* poisoning cases go. The wellknown disinfectant' was originally a German preparation, and may be so now, but that did not affect the matte! at time time, and does not now, of course. I am sure most proprietors and editors wpuld gladly assist further in tho direction indicated by Mr Barton, but it would be necessary for papers in New Zealand who cater for the morbid minded to come into line if the desired result is to be brought about. In any case, without the assistance of those papers, much good could be by the remainder.—Yours, etc., P. SELIG. Christehurch, May 17th.