POISON IN MEDICINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 July 1930, Page 4

POISON IN MEDICINE

WOMAN’S SUDDEN ILLNESS.

Archibald Derwent Bellctte, a mid-dle-aged man, appeared in the Police Court in Hobart on June 12 and 13 on a charge of attempted wife .murder. Medical evidence showed that Mrs Bellette became suddenly ill after having medicine from a bottle, the contents of which were found to include eight grains of strychnine. Dr. Stuart Galloway Gibson said he visited Mrs Bellette on December 10 last at her home, in answer to a telephone call. Mrs Bellette complained of feeling very ill shortly after taking a dose of medicine from a bottle. Immediately after that she had a, violent convulsion, quite typical of strychnine poisoning, in his presence. Witness gave her inhalations of choloform until the arrival of the ambulance, which took her to the hospital. During this period she hud another convulsion. Witness took possession of a. bottle, from which Mrs Bellette was supposed to have taken the medicine. The bottle was similar to that produced. The bottle was f full of fluid containing thick, white sediment, said witness, similar to the fluid exhibited, but containing more lumps of the white matter, s Witness handed the bottle to the: police. He considered Mrs Bellette to be dangerously ill, and her symptoms were exactly those of strychnine poisoning. Strychnine was a a very deadly poison. He was very amazed at the appearance of the medicine, as no dispensary of standing would allow medicine to go out with sediment in it, such as was apparent in that bottle. The amount of strychnine sufficient to kill a person varied with the individual, but two grains would be a very dangerous dose. Onefifteenth was the maximum medicinal dose, and the. usual dose would be about one-sixtieth of a grain. Dr. B. M. Carruthers, of the Hobart Public Hospital, said he treated Mrs Bellette when she was admitted to the hospital. About 20 minutes after admission she had a violent convulsion, soon followed by another, necessitating ‘an anaesthetic being administered. Injections were also given to control the spasms. Mr Bellette had several slight attacks of convulsions until about four hours after admission. Witness diagnosed the symptoms as those of strychnine poisoning. The patient remained in hospital until December 21, when she was discharged as cured. Dr. W. E. L. H. Crowther said he gave Mrs Bellette a prescription (produced and identified) which contained two proprietary syrups, one of hvhich contained about half a grain of strychnine in an Soz. bottle. The strychnine would be in solution and should be evenly diffused throughout the whole mixture: The prescription, when mixed, shquld not show any precipitate such as the fluid (produced) showed. W. J. Mason, the chemist’s assistant who made up the prescription, said the bottle was corked, wrapped and sealed as usual. The fluid mix-, ed by him w’as quite clear and colourless, while the fluid shown had a thick deposit in it. There was no possible chance of eight grains of strychnine being in the prescription as made up by him. It was quite a commonplace, ordinary prescription. R. J. V. Fitzgerald, chemist, one of the previous witness’ employers, said that eight grains, of strychnine could not have been put' in the prescription (produced), using the ingredients shown. Another lot of medicine was made up for a different customer from the same prescription later.

MRS BELLETTE IN THE BOX. Mrs Bellette said that she was married to accused in 1914. In 1925 he took up motor salesmanship. From that time onwards -his attitude to her was quite changed. lie ill-treated her on many occasions. One night he rushed in from his car with a brown paper parcel, which he said was stuff to “fix”, cats. Witness accused her husband of frequent wrong-doing, and she said that he threatened to do her violence from time to time. At her husband’s suggestion, witness continued, she visited a doctor and got a prescription, which she left at a chemist’s to be made up. Her husband called for the prescription, and the next morning at breakfast showed her the bottle on the dresser. There was no. wrapping on it. Before going away her husband kissed her, which was most unusual. He asked her when she was going to take the medicine, and then went away. The bottle produced was the one which contained the medicine, said witness, and when she first saw it on the dresser it had no wrapping on it. A little more than an hour later she took the medicine. She gave it a good shake, but it -would not mix. She sat down and poured a tablespoonful into a cup. Ihe ccik of the bottle was easy to draw. Sue tasted the medicine, but it tasted ’.so awful that she thought she Could not take it without water. The girl brought her some water and she used it to rinse her mouth. Witness drank the whole tablespoonful of medicine. Shortly afterwards she became very ill. The girl got witness some water and sprinkled her face, then helped her into the bedroom. Witness got on the bed and i was seized with convulsions.

Witness said accused came to see her in hospital. He said, “H the detectives come to see you, you know nothing. Tell them I’ve always treated you well and given you plenty of money.” She subsequently openly accused her husband of poisoning her, and asked him what he was sneaking about the back of the house for the morning she got ill. He said if there was a God above, he was an innocent man.

Detective-Sergeant Fleming said he received the bottle produced from Dr. Gibson. On the following, day a sample of the contents of the bottle was taken. On December'lo he visited the accused's home and took possession of a cup and a sheet. He visited the place again in the company of accused, and he made a search for poison, but found none. He asked the accused if he thought his wife would take poison, and he replied “No.” The accused said that when he obtained the medicine from the chemists he took it home ami left it in his ear during the night. Witness saw the accused at the hospital and lohl him he was going to see Mrs Bellette to ascertain whether there was a wrapper on the bottle when she received it. Accused said that, there was no wrapper oii it when he got it. In reply to a remark by witness accused said, “Good God, old man, you do not suspect me?” Witness informed him that he was the only person

who had handled the bottle. Ho saw Mrs Bellette iu the hospital iu the presence of accused. She said the bottle did not have a wrapper on, and that the cork had been easy to pulh Accused was committed for trial.