THE STRANGE DEATH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9090, 26 June 1888, Page 6

THE STRANGE DEATH.

THE INQUEST. The inquest upon the body of Mrs. Sarah Croot, whose death we recorded in yestordav's issue, took platie yesterday afternoon in the Pier Hotel, before Dr. Philson and the following jury --Messrs. C. Woollams (foreman), Thomas Powley, John Chflord, David Cromarty, Robert Mackie, and James Champion. Inspector Broham waapresent, arid watched the <.ase on behalf of the police. Mr. T. Cotter appeared on behalf of Dr. Leger Erson. Inspector Broham stated that) Dr. M ickellar had been appointed to make the post mortem examination. The following evidence was takon : — Mary Proctor deposed she was the wife of William Proctor,labourer, Ihaveknownthe deceased for the last, seven years. Deceased came to my house on Thursday, the 21st, about four o'clock in the afternoon. She had been to the Canadian doctor before she came to my house, and after leaving her at my house her husband went down to see the doctor to get some medicine. She told mo she waa suffering from indigestion, but she seemed well, but short of breath. The husband returned about five o'clock, bringing a powder and some lotion to rub on her chest and back. The directions were to dissolve the powder in a quart of boiling water. The directions were in a book, which her husband also brought. I put the powder into the water on Thursday night, and as soon as it was dissolved I put half a cup of tho medicine on one sido to cool, and then I put tho rest of the medicine in two bottles on Friday morning. On Thursday night, as soon as the medicine became cool, I gave her about a wine glass full of the decoction. This was about seven o'clock in the evening. She was in bed at the time. The reason she went to bed was she was feeling sick. She had a cough. She had tea about six o'clock. All she had was a cup of tea and some white cabbage. She went to bed about seven, and then I gave her a dose of the medicine. As soon as she took it she began to vomit. Everything came up, all black. She vomited about two quarts. She continued vomiting till Dr. Erson was called, with a few moments' interval. I fetched Dr. Erson between ten and eleven o'clock on Saturday, the 23rd. She stopped vomiting when Dr. Erson gave her the medicine. At five o'clock on Friday morning I gave doceased another wineglassful, then another at dinner time, and another at night again. She had four doses of the medicine altogether. On Saturday morning she refused to take any more, and said, "No, mother, send for another doctor." I did not know that I was doing any harm in giving her the medicine. I did not think anything of the retching till Dr. Erson came, and told me I had done wrong. He told me at once it was inflammation of the. liver. I put some whisky into the two bottles into which I put thb residue of the medicine made from tho powder. De ceased's husband took one of the bottles, and I kept tho other. Before putting the medicine into the two bottles 1 washed them out with soda and warm water. I made the medicine in my earthenware teapot, which I washed out before putting the powder in. Tho water I used to make the medicine with was city water, and I took it out of the kettle. Deceased's husband stayed at my house on Thursday night, and went home by the two o'clock boat on Friday. He was obliged to go home for fear the house would be on fire. He wanted to stop, but deceased said, " No, go home and see to tho things—see to the place." ■ She said she had never vomited before. She said, "Mother, what is the cause of me vomiting like this? I never vomited before." She- slept in my bed on Thursday night. She was in bed all day on Friday. ' On Friday night she went to the children's bed, and came into my bed at two o'clock on Saturday morning, when my husband went to work. Dr. Erson was called in on Saturday morning, and prescribed for her. He ordered her arrowroot and a little brandy. He prescribed a bottle of medicine, turpentine, and pills. Deceased took Dr. Erson's medicine. The retching then ceased. Deceased ?aid " Mother, the medicine is doing me good ; my cough has left me." She took Dr. Erson's medicine every two hours. She took the last about an hour before she died. She died about half-past eleven on Sunday morning in my arms. Shortly before this she went to the closet, in the yard, and fell down three times after she came out. This was about ten o'clock. She fell down in the closet first. Then we went to her, and she fell down in the yard, and at the kitchen door as we were getting her in. We could not hold her up. She was a big woman. Then she tumbled off the bed, and she died about ten minutes after this. The only spirits she had was a little brandy, about a teaspoonful, I put in the arrowroot. All she had on Friday was arrowroot and milk and water. The same on Saturday. She had pain in her belly whenever she was retching. After getting Dr. Ersoivs medicine her vomit was white. She did not vomit much on Sunday. She did a little about two hours before she died. I had charge of the medicine all the time till Dr. Erson came, when he took charge of it. The lotion, I had used to rub on her. The police took Dr. Erson's medicine. Deceased was a halfcaste. Her husband, William Croot, is a gumdigger at Dairy Flat. She has had children by a former husband. She was about 36 years old. There were two of my daughters at home, aged 19 and 17 years. I have children in the Hospital, with typhoid fever. I have had typhoid fever for the last four or five months. Deceased took about a tablespoonful of cabbage. Deceased never eaw the Canadian doctor. She went, but she told me she could not get near enough, and her husband brought the medicine. I was in the kitchen when she fell out of bed.

Dr. Edward George Leger Erson deposed: I was called in to see deceased on Saturday morning, about half-past ten. When I arrived at the place, Moore-street, I found deceased. Sne complained of violent pain over the stomach, extending to the liver, and of persistent vomiting. I asked her if she could account for it, and what she had taken. She replied she had taken some cabbage with tea the night previously, but would give no other cause for the vomiting. I examined her, and found the region of the stomach tender when pressed upon. The breathing was short, and there was crepitation in the left lungs over the apex, indicating disease. There was some collapse. The heart was weak. The patient was otherwise well developed, and quite conscious. I thought the case was one of inflammation of the stomach, owing to disease of the liver, probably excited by the cabbage and tea. I prescribed for her, and ordered first turpentine and flannel to be applied to the stomach and bowels, and then linseed poultice. I ordered her a mixture containing bismuth, pepsin, digital!.' , , and a little ammonia. I ordered also she .should be given arrowroot and a little brandy. I visited her again about seven o'clock on the same evening. She said she felt bettor. The vomiting was better, but had not cea.'-ed ; the stomach still kept very tender, and the patient was weaker. The tongue also showed considerable gastric disturbance, and was coated and slimy. The pulse was weak. I saw the woman in whose house she was, and asked her what deceased had been taking, saying what she had told me would not account for the persistent vomiting. Tho last witness then said deceased had taken some of tho Canadian lady doctor's medicine, and that from the time she had taken it the vomiting h<td commenced, and the pain began. I did not know of this before Saturday night, in Aickin's shop, although I was not satisfied with the case, from the persistency of the vomiting. I advised Mrs. Proctor to send for the woman's husband, as the case was serious ; gave her minute directions what to do, also some pills containing aquarter grain of morphia to relieve the pain, also to let me know during the night if she got any worse. I had to go into the country in the morning, and when I got to the house I found her dead. The death surprised me rather. I knew the case was bad, but I thought she might get through. Her lungs were affected. I could not give a certificate under the circumstances. When I went on Saturday Mrs. Proctor told me deceased had had a fairish night, but I believe no perfect sleep. The bottles given to me by Mrs. Proctor were in the same state as they were when I handed them over to the police. There were two—a large bottle containing about a pint of dark-brown liquid, and a smaller one holding about an ounce, containing, I think, a dark greenish liquid— Collinsoria Canadeneis, with rectified ether, but the composition is unknown to me by analysis. I took the medicine home, because I believed one of them caused the

vomiting and pain, and perhaps indirectly the cause of death, as I knew in cases of certain organic diseaso severe vomiting would accelerate it. There were no signs of drink on deceased when I saw her, but Mrs. Proctor was in a semi-intoxicated condition. , , The inquest was then adjourned to Mon< day next, July and, at two o'clock p.m.