THE WRONG MEDICINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 5

THE WRONG MEDICINE.

>-r ~~"— '.' m\ ~.,., —, J -3? A FATAL MISTAKE. [by telegraph.—own correspondent.] Gisborne, Wednesday. An inquest concerning the death of James Cockery, who was found dead in bed in a Moari whore, was held at Te Arai yesterday. Dr. C'oker stated that he examined deceased and found all the organs more or less diseased. Oil and turpentine were lodged in the throat, the back of the tongue was blackened, and the throat and windpipe were much inflamed. John Harold Kane, chemist, deposed that deceased brought a prescription to him from Dr. Reeve on Friday. Witness supplied the contents of the bottles produced. One bottle contained turpentine, camphor, liniment, and acetic acid, and the other a mixture which would not cause the symptoms described. The medicines were put up in different makes of bottles, so that no mistake might be made.

■ Constable Dandy stated that on arrival at deceased's whare, he found him in bed lying on his side with his head over the edge of the bed. There was froth coming from his mouth and nose. Witness found No. 1 bottle on a chair, within easy reach of the bed, and bottle No. 2 was on the opposite side of the whare on a table. Witness had been informed that deceased could neither; read nor. write.

The jury returned a verdict • • that' deceased met his death by misadventure, through taking liniment in place of medicine. '