POISON IN MILK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22624, 29 April 1948, Page 6

POISON IN MILK

NURSE CHARGED HOSPITAL INCIDENT SUPREME COURT HEARING (P.A.) HAMILTON, April 29. The hearing of a charge against Fay Roberta Phillips that at the TaUlliarunui Hospital on January 9 she administered or caused to be taken belladonna, a poison, with intent to injure or annoy Sister Elspeth Gwendolynne Denison, was continued in the Supreme Court yesterday. A second charge, was that the accused administered or caused to be taken atropine an alkaloid of belladonna with intent to injure or annoy Sister Denison.

Mr. J. F Strang, for the Crown, in his opening address said someone had deliberately put poison into the milk drunk by Sister Denison. It was for the jury to say what the poison was and who put it into the milk. The evidence on Tuesday dealt with the drinking of milk by Sister Denison and Sister Olive Stanton. Milk Tasted Very Bitter

Eispeth Gwendolynne Denison said that she and four other sisters were at lunch on .January 9. On her arrival she found two glasses of milk already poured out for Sister Olive Stanton and herself. She drank some of. the milk and found it very bitter. Sister Stanton said there was something wrong with her glass »i milk. “After dinner I tried the milk again and once more found it impossible to drink, witness continued. There had been a great deal of laughter about it. Sister Ann Forbes tried the milk and found it bad. Witness then passed it to Sister Phillips and said: "You try it. This is a loving cup.' The accused seemed very unwilling to trv it. . , W.Ti the Court resumed yesterday the first witness heard was Carl William Brandt analytical- chemist, Dominion Laboratory, Wellington, who said he received on January 13 from Dr. Lynch, Government pathologist, a sample of milk labelled from the Taumarunui Hospital. The loz bottle was two-thirds full. It contained alkaloids belladonna. 1/lGth grain of atropine or hyoscinine to the ounce. The belladonna also contained three alkaloids. The dosage normally would range from 1/24011) to 1.60 th of a grain. The sample showed a belladonna alkaloid equivalent to 1 /16th of an ounce, or more than six times the maximum dosage. The dosage of tincture of belladonna would be 5 to 13 minims. Demonstration to Court

Witness gave further scientific evidence and produced specimens of tincture of belladonna and atropine, and added alkaloids to belladonna in tincture form to a glass of milk to illustrate his statement. The milk became slightly discoloured with a greenish tinge. The odour was less pronounced, he said, and the milk would curdle m a short time. . A demostration was also given ot the effect of introducing atropine sulphate to milk. The colour did not perceptibly change. . Witness said that he did not ascertain which alkaloid was in the sample of milk. To Mr. Tanner,. witness said that if the tablets were dissolved _ the milk probably would not be discoloured. When he received the sample it was the normal colour of milk. Fifty tablets would be required to produce the result in the sample analysed. To the Court, witness said it could not have been tincture of belladonna that was added to the milk. He believed the sample he examined contained atropine in tablet form. He said it would take one to three minutes to dissolve 50 tablets of atropine dropped in milk unless they were stirred. There would probably be no bitter taste. (Proceeding)