TRAGIC MISTAKE

Evening Star, Issue 25635, 8 November 1945, Page 7

TRAGIC MISTAKE

WEED-KILLER IN MEDICINE BOTTLE TWO-YEAR-OLD BOY POISONED ;(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 7. ~ How the keeping of a 'seed killer in a bottle bearing the label of a wellknown cough remedy resulted in the death .of Philip James Fortune, the two-year-old son of Mrs G. Fortune, . of Orakei, was told at the inquest today by the city coroner, Mr A. Addison. The child died on September 23 while being admitted to the Auck-' land! Hospital. Evidence was given by the mother that, with her husband and two children,* she visited her mother at Ponsonby on Sunday, September 23. When they were about to .go home the younger boy, Philip, had an attack of coughing, and witness procured a bottle labelled “ Linseed Emulsion ” from a cupboard' in the kitchen. She poured out about half a teaspoonful and gave it to the elder boy, David, aged nine, who made no complaint about the taste. “ I then gave a teaspoonful to the baby, Philip, and attempted to give him another, but he would not take it,” witness continued:. She took up a sip of the mixture, and found that it was very bitter and burned the mouth. The baby became very ill.. Witness realised that the children had taken poison of some description, and they were taken to a doctor, who sent them to hospital. ( ' r - Jean Albrecht, a sister of the pre-J vious witness, _ said that for a time she was living with her mother at Ponsonby. About January of this year her father-in-law gave her some _ weed killer in a bottle labelled; “Linseed Emulsion,” with which she was going to poison a stray cat that had been annoying the household. Witness said she did not usp the weed killer, and for . safety concealed the bottle behind an oak desk in a spare room. After she left the house her mother found the bottle and placed; it in the cupboard, from which her sister took it. “ In a very pathetic and distressing tragedy such as this, one hesitates to make any. comment, lest it may add to the anguish of those _ who are bereaved,” said the Coroner. “ This, however,, is the second case of this nature to come before me in the past few weeks, and I feel I must make the observation that it tragically demonstrates the great danger which lies # in the casual, careless, or negligent passing on of dangerous poisons. “ I have-handled the bottle in question,” he added, “ and in view of the label and the appearance and smell of the contents anyone not knowing the actual origin of those contents would he.easily deceived into believing that they were true to label. The parents are deserving of every sympathy in the loss of their little , son, and are to be commended for the prompt and in one case effective action they took when the mistake was suspected.” A verdict was returned that the cause of death was arsenic poisoning, following the administration of sodium arsenate in mistake for >a cough mixture.