UNUSUAL TRAGEDY

Grey River Argus, 4 June 1937, Page 5

UNUSUAL TRAGEDY

FROM CARBOLIC ACID Absorbed Through Skin (Per Press Association). AUCKLAND, June 3. A ease of fatal poisoning, brought about by the external application of carbolic‘acid, was the subject of comment by Coroner W. , K - McKean, S.M., at an adjourned inquest into the death of Vladimir Watson, aged 37, married, a labourer, of Ararimu, whose body was found in a lavatory on Newmarket Railway Station on Alay 10th. Shortly after groans were heard, Matson was discovered lying 0 " tihc . suffering from a severe wound m the forehead, and a burn from corrosive poison, extending along his right arm. There was no Dace of his having swallowed the poison. A po-'-f " qort ® amination of th e body was dmailed by Dr Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital. He J™ 8 * laceration wound above the left y brow, and a large burn on the r-g aim, produced by carjohe acid, had been applied to the upper arm, and had run down the forearm and wrmx. There was no corrosion in the II P s > mouth or stomach, and: in his opinion, death was due to the poison bemg absorbed through the skin of the rig arm. The purchase of a small bottle ot carbolic acid bv the deceased on the morning of his death was described bv a. chemist. He said Watson explain, ed he intended! to use the solution for treating foot rot in sheep. The Government Analyst, at Auckland, Kenneth Griffin, said an examine, tion of the internal organs of deceased had) resulted in the recovery of 0.0022 of a gramme of the poison. One gramme of carbolic acid might rapidly prove fatal if introduced into wounds.

In returning a verdict that death was due to carbolic acid poisoning, the poison having been absorbed through the skin of the right arm, Air AlcKean said the deceased could have had no thought, that fatal results would follow its application. The fact that he had a bottle of olive <il in his possessi. on rather suggested' he intended to use the poison as a relief for rheumatism.. H e must have been in complete ignorance that it could be completely absoro. ed through the skin.