A STRANGE DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9089, 25 June 1888, Page 5

A STRANGE DEATH.

USING THE CANADIAN MEDICINES.

A WOMAN SEIZED WITH VOMITING.

SHE EXPIRES.

AN INQUEST TO BE HELD.

WHAT DR. RENNIE SAYS.

Yesterday about half-past twelve o'clock noon, a death occurred in Moore-street, behind Albert-street, under somewhat strango circumstances, which, as far as we can gather, aro as follow —

A Mr. Croot and his wife, Sarah Croot, came to Auckland from tho Wado on Thursday, staying with Mrs. Proctor in Moore-street. Mrs. Croot appears to havohad some slight ailment in the shape of indigestion, and healing of the cures of the "Canadian Doctor," Madame Duflot, went to and obtained from her certain medicine. Mrs. Croot had tea on Thursday evening, then took the first dose of tho medicine, when vomiting with violent pains in the stomach immediately set in, and continued at intervals till she died yesterday. On Saturday morning Dr. Erson was called in and gave a prescription, but this seems to have failed to stop the vomiting. From Thursday night to Saturday morning the medicine appears to have been regularly administered in spite of the vomiting, and notwithstanding the condition of his wife the husband left her and returned to the Wade on Friday at two o'clock in the afternoon, taking a bottle of the Canadian doctor's medicine with him.

The statement made by Mrs. Proctor is as follows:—

"I have known deceased for seven years, and I have never known her to have any complaint of any kind. Deceased came to my house on Thursday, 21st instant, wioli her husband, and she complained of indigestion. She informed mo that she consulted the Canadian doctor that afternoon before she came to my house, and said it was the first time that she had done so. She was in my house before her husband arrived with tho medicine —a powder and a small black bottlo of medicine. During this time deceased was well, and did not vomit or ' retch.' Wo had tea about 6.30 p.m., and after tea she had some white cabbage. I prepared the medicine in accordance with tho book directions the husband brought with the powder, by putting the whole of tho powder into a black crockery teapot, into a quart of boiling water. I put a dose into a cup to cool, and gavo it to deceased, and allowed the rest to remain in the teapot for about twelve hours, after which it was bottled in bottles I had cleaned with soda and warm water, and also put sixpenny worth of whisky in them. Tho whisky was got from tho Pier Hotel. Shortly after tea on Thursday night I gave deceased about half a wine glass full of tho medicine out of the bottle. A few minutes after taking this deceased began to vomit, and vomited something like two quarts of black liquid matter. Deceased said, ' Mother, I never vomited before, what is up with me now She continued vomiting during the night at intervals. About five a.m. on Friday, 22nd, I gave her another dose of medicine, and again at noon, and again at night after tea. Deceased continued vomiting, and especially after taking the medicine. Deceased's husband went homo to the Wade about noon on Friday. On Saturday morning, about seven o'clock, at deceased's request, I called in Dr. Erson. He saw deceased, and gave mo a prescription, and I got the medicine at Aickin's shop. She had takon a little arrowroot beforo Dr. Erson arrived. After I gave deceased Dr. Erson's medicine she said, ' Mother, my chest is getting better, I have no cough now.' Sno had the first dose of Dr. Erson's medicine, about two table spoonfuls, about noon on Saturday, and every two hours till she died, which took place about eleven o'clock on Sunday forenoon. Dr. Erson saw deceased twice on Saturday. He paid a visit to the house yesterday, but on his arrival there deceased had expired." Dr. Rennie was seen last night at the Star Hotel, but had heard nothing of the case. Dr. and Madame Dullot had gone to bed, but Mr. Cairns did not think they had heard of the case either. The daughter of Mrs. Proctor, who is a housemaid at the Star Hotel, has stated that deceased had come up to got medical advice, as sho was very ill, it is supposed, with heart diseaso. The house where tho death took place is said to bo unhealthy, and a case of typhoid fever occurred there some time ago. Dr. Rennie, when asked what he thought about the case, said : " Dr. Erson, having the case in hand '24 hours before death, and after the woman had ceased taking our medicine, ought to have been able to counteract poisonous effects if there were any. But it i 3 perfectly harmless, and if taken according to the instructions it is beneficial, and will effect a cure in tho majority of cases. To show how harmless it is, I could eat a boxful of the powder—chew it all up and swallow it dry—and drink a 7s Get bottle of the ' Perfume' to wash the powder down. That will show tho absurdity of saying that the woman died from taking our medicine. Yes ! I'll do it in public on the Golden Chariot, to-morrow (Monday) afternoon." An inquest will probably bo held at the Pier Hotel to-day.