Nobody Immune

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 44, 22 February 1936, Page 5

Nobody Immune

From Fatal Dose of Veronal

EXPERT EVIDENCE IN MAREO TRIAL. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Last Night. The fifth day of tho Marco trial saw the public portion of the Supreme Court again crowded, after queues' of men and women had awaited the opening of the doors. Mr Hubble for the Crown informed Justice Fair that counsel for the defence had decided that instead of calling the five witnesses concerning the production of tho mattress as an exhibit that the deposition of those witnesses would be read iu Court. The mattress was in the ante-room and could be produced if required. Mr O’Leary concurring, this course was followed. The next witness, Kenneth Massey Griffin, Government Analyst, gave details of his tests. “I examined the organs for poison and found veronal to be present.” Witness added that he recovered in the brain 2.35 grains, liver, kidneys and spleen 2.60, stomach content 0.4. From a stained sheet he recovered 4.33. The total amount recovered was 14.78. Cross-examined by Mr O’Leary, witness said he could find no milk in the stomach. He experimented and found that veronal would dissolve in half a cup of milk either warm or cold. Six tablets dissolved in warm milk in about five minutes. Witness knew that one well-known authority stated that veronal should never be given in a solid form or in milk. He knew that veronal would be readily soluble in sal volatile. A normal person might take veronal without tasting it, but he thought they would taste it. Mr O’Leary: I am informed that the average lethal dose is fifty grains. Witness: That is so. Mr O’Leary: Can you say if the average lethal dose was taken?—Yes; but I would prefer to leave that to medical witnesses. What quantity of milk would be required to dissolve one hundred grains?—l experimented and founu that eight tablets could be dissolved in a cupful of milk. To dissolve more would make the milk "porridgey. ” The foreman of the jury: What colour would the milk be if heavily impregnated with veronal?—There would bo no colour. A change in the thickness would be noticeable and not in colour. This would be caused by the starch in the tablets. At his Honour’s request witness agreed to carry out further experiments in the dissolution of veronal in milk. Dr. Walter Gilmour, pathologist at the Auckland Hospital, detailed a postmortem examination of the deceased. Her appearance indicated an overdose of a hypnotic drug. There was no evidence of any disease. The appendix was hoalthy. His conclusion was that death was duo to veronal poisoning. A person taking veronal would fall asleep about half an hour later, remaining asleep for about six or eight hours. If a heavier dose was taken a deep sleep probably would be followed by a coma. Referring to happenings on the Saturday night before death, witness said that these indicated quite clearly that Mrs Mareo was recovering from a dose of veronal. She was able to awake of her own account, and ask for a drink of water. There could be no doubt that treatment at that stage would have brought about her complete recovery. Her falling asleep could only be accounted for by another dose of veronal. From the description of her condition that night it would have bceu impossible for her to get out of bed, and even had she becu within reach he thought it would have been impossible for her to take veronal herself. The amount of veronal extracted by the Government Analyst indicated that Mrs Mareo had a fatal dose. Dr. Gilmour estimated that she had' probably at least one hundred grains. Tolerance to veronal was not developed in those who take it regularly, continued Dr. Gilmour. "Tolerance means that one becomes gradually able to take larger doses without suffering undue effects. A notable example is morphia, but such tolerance is never acquired iu the case of veronal. An habitual taker is no more immune from a fatal dose than one who takes it for tho first time.” No evidence of alcoholism was disclosed in his postmortem examination of Mrs Mareo, said witness. This did not exclude the possibility of it, but if she had been drinking two bottles of sherry daily, conditions found at the post-mortem examination were not consistent with this. The symptoms described by Graham Mareo and Freda Stark were not consistent with alcoholism. Dr. Gilmour said death from veronal poisoning was generally duo to misadventure. Suicide would be a good second, but murder by veronal poisoning was rare. He did not know of a normal adult having been murdered by this method. There was no recorded case, but there were-one or two suspected cases. Mr O’Leary: There is a recorded case of 10 grains having killed a person. Dr. Gilmour: That would not be due to veronal alone. .There is a recorded