FOOD POISONING CASE

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24369, 22 September 1944, Page 6

FOOD POISONING CASE

SIX PERSONS STILL SERIOUSLY ILL

Four adults and two children are still seriously ill in the Christchurch Hospital after a party at the house of Mr and Mrs T;' O’Cbnnor,. 85 Radley street, Woolston, on Wednesday, when they ate foodcontaining arsenic, which had been .used in mistake for ground rice. Mrs F.’.Robbi 7 Chichester street, is how off the seriously ill; list, and her condition is fairly satisfactory. ’ An inquest into' the death of Mrs Gladys Pearl Hopping. 57 Clarendon terrace, who was one of the eight, persons admitted to hospital on Wednesday night, .Was opened yesterday afternoon by the Coroner (Mr A.’ A. McLachlan) and was adjourned sine die after evidence of identification had been taken. The condition of the victims, excluding Mrs Robb, is as follows; Mr T. O’Connor, still seriously ill, but,

-slight improvement. Mrs Violet May Virtue, -76 Radley street: still seriously ill, but condition satisfactory. Judith Virtue, aged 4: condition still

serious. Mrs Nelly Joyce Gee, 24 Sheldon street; condition still serious, but slight improvement. Audrey Gee, aged 10: condition seri-

ous. Miss Joyce White, aged 21, 27 Clarendon terrace: condition slightly improved, but still serious.

When the police were called on Wednesday evening they found that there was a tin of arsenic in the pantry of Mr and Mrs O’Connor's home. The biscuits cooked by Mrs O’Connor the Erevious day for the entertainment of er friends contained a considerable quantity of arsenic. The police have ascertained that Mrs O’Connor intended to use ground rice in her cooking, principally for the biscuits. _ It_ is not known if there was arsenic in the sponge cake and pikelets, and they and the biscuits that were left are being analysed.. ' . ‘ Mrs O’Connor had given cakes to a number of children in the neighbourhood, and during the evening detectives visited the children’s homes ,to see if they were ill, and also to warn the parentjs to call a doctor immediately if they became ill. ,