LOVE-OF-HOME PHILTRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 14 (Supplement)

LOVE-OF-HOME PHILTRE.

NEW PERIL FOR HUSBANDS. A Viennese Woman, in despair because her husband spent all his money on drink in cafes and beerhouses, was advised by a married woman friend to use the means she had tried) p'iccessfully two years before to keep her husband at home, away from gambling. • Wedging the drunkard's., wife to secrecy, the ex-gambler's wife gave her some white fluid which she called magnetic Water and. told, put .a, spoonful Sn her 'husoandls fcrwakfast coffee The husband was ill for an hour or two after taking the water, and then only drank the more. So the wife gave him another dose, which affected his sight and kept him at home for several days. A doctor ascribed his condition to excessive drinking. hut he resumed his drinking as soon as he could. Then his wife gave him such a dose of the water, that he had to go to hospital. There he was found to have been poisoned with atropine the extract of the deadly nightshade, and both > women were arrested. - - * tr '- The husband recovered, and the other man's wife could not be charged with dosing her own husband ; owing to the time which had elapsed,' ! but only with aiding and abetting the drunkard's wife. Both pleaded that they had no intention of injuring their men. After a whole day's trial both , women were convicted of causing injury to health " and sentenced the wife to three weeks' and her friend to two weeks' imprisonment. As they had been in custody longer than this awaiting trial they were at once freed, and both left the court, with their husbands apparently on the. moat amicable terms. • 'S;'- -'ft' %■