DEATH WHILST ATTEMPTING SUICIDE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8270, 31 May 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

DEATH WHILST ATTEMPTING SUICIDE.

Mr. Baxter held an inquest at the Vestry Hall, Cable street, St. George's-in-the-East, April 10, into the circumstances attending the death of George Frederick Dix, aged 56, secretary of the 515 th Starr-Bowkett Building Society, of 302, Commercial Road E. Ellen Dix, the widow, stated that her husband had been ill " off and on" for live years with heart disease, bronchitis, and pleurisy, and said that ho should be found dead in bed one morning, lie hail had no medical attention since the 10th ult. Acting under medical advice, witness went with the deoaaad to Bournemouth, but he stayed only a week, saying that he must get back and see to his books. On Good Friday witness left the mom about eight o'clock and called her son Fred to stay with tho deceased whilst she prepared breakfast. She took the deceased his breakfast up about nine o'clock, and then noticed a quantity of dark-coloured fluid on the washhand-stand Ppon inquiry as to the cause, she was informed by her son that the deceased had got hold of a bottle (containing iodine), and was about to drink it when ho snatched it from his hand. Witness noticed that tho deceased had got some of the iodine on his whiskers, and inquired if he had swallowed any, and her son replied that lie might have got a drop of it. Witness went to tho deceased, who was sitting on the side of the bed, and asked him to have his breakfast. He drank some coffee, but said that he did not want anything to eat. Tho coroner: Did you express surprise at hi* attempting to drink the iodine? The witness : 1 was upset about my washhandstand. Tho coroner: My good woman, surely your husband's life was of more consequence than that. The witness then said that she asked the deceased what made him bake it, and before he could reply tho doctor came upstairs. Just before the doctor entered the room the deceased said, "I want to lay down, missus," and with that he laid himself down, and witness covered him over. The doctor injected something into each arm of the deceased, but he never rallied, and died about 20 minutes after the occurrence. He had never threatened to commit suicide, but had been worried about his books. He had paid £5 for a friend, who afterwards wrobo to him, saying that he could not repay him, and that greatly upset him. The iodine was used for painting his back. The reason he would not stay at Bournemouth was that a ballot for an appropriation was coming off, and he wanted to get back to his books. Dr. John George M'Cormack, 300, Commercial Road, stated that about 9.20 a.m. on Friday a son of the deceased's came and asked him to give him something for his father, as he had taken iodine. Witness went into the house and found deceased inanimate, and injections of ether failed to resuscitate him. There were some stains on the lips, and the tongue was slightly browned, but witness was of opinion that the cause of death was syncope from congestion of the lungs and heart disease, accelerated by the excitement. The coroner: There can be no doubt that tho deceased attempted to commit suicide. The jury returned the following verdict: " That tho doceased died from syncope, following congestion of the lungs and heart disease, and that death was accelerated by the excitement of attempting to commit suicide."