FATAL DOSE OF MORPHIA

Evening Star, Issue 18258, 24 April 1923, Page 4

FATAL DOSE OF MORPHIA

A SEAMAN ADDICT. On Sunday night (stales a Christchurch message) an A.IS. on the Mooraki named David Edmund John Macßean, aged twenty-seven, wont to the surgery of Dr Giimour at Lyttelton and told the doctor that morphia was his trouble. Macßean died in the surgery two hours later. At tho inquest, which was held at Lyttelton yesterday, Dr Giimour said that MarBean’s remarks were altogether coherent. Macßean said ho had attempted to break himself off the morphia, habit, which he had started as an anldoto for sleeplessness, following upon treatment in tho hospital for neurasthenia. Macßean was told to return on the following day, but when ho rose to walk lie found he could not move. The doctor, with assistance, applied antidotes and artificial respiration for two and a-half hours, hut Macßean failed to respond. Macßean had been taking morphia for four years. He must have taken throe grains on the fatal occasion. Among Miicßean’s effects were papers indicating that his home address was 29 King George avonuo, Epsom. He had boon a lieutenant in the Imperial Forces. Tho coroner’s verdict was that Macßean died from asphyxia, following an overdose of morphia, which had not been taken intentionally.