PUZZLING CASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22390, 9 April 1936, Page 14

PUZZLING CASE

HARRIED MAN'S ( DEATH POST-MORTEM FINDINGSTRACES OF VERONAL SUFFERER FROM CANCER t. The circumstances of the death of Sidney John Anderson, motor engineer, aged 47, who died at the Auckland Hospital on February 17, were the subject of an inquest conducted by Mr. Wyvern Wilson, S.M., coroner, yesterday. / Witnesses said that deceased had been in a state of -coma the day before his death, and the Government analyst reported finding 8.6 grains of veronal in organs of the body. It was admitted that* both veronal and morphia had been: in medicines prescribed for him to relieve suffering. The coroner commented to two medical witnesses on the unusual procedure of holding a postmortem examination without a coroner's authority. The police are calling 20 witnesses, and the Court sat again in the evening to ensure the conclusion of the hearing to-day. The proceedings were conducted for the police by Detective-Sergeant J. Walsh, and Mr. R. A. Singer appeared for the widow, Eve Muriel Anderson. •

Evidence of Brothers Alfred Edward Anderson said he had visited )iis brother at his home on Friday, February 14. He was in bed and looked a very sick man. His brother spoke about a 'visit he had made to the ~ Labour Department and said they had "knocked him ..back" and told him to go to Dr. Souter. The doctor told him ho was in class C. Detective-Sergeant Walsh: Was your brother very concerned or depressed about this visit? —Yes, he was. a bit annoyed about that. j Witness said his brother had a life insurance policy for £IOOO. He never keafd his brothet speak of suicide. James Harry Anderson, another brother of the deceased, said deceased told him about applying to the Labour Department for sustenance, and later said he had seen Dr. Souter, wl/o said he was a case for the Hospital Board. Ho seemed to be depressed over what the doctor said. Detective-Sergeant Walsh: Did any medical men see him that morning?— Dr. Hastings in company with Dr. Guneon. Dr. Gunson said that if he had the * patient in the hospital he might be able to do something with him and he might have a chance. The doctor said deceased appeared to be in a coma, and hfo condition was like a man under a drug.

Results of Analysis The Government analyst, Kenneth Mftssey Griffin, gave details of estimated amounts of veronal, totalling 8.06. grains, recovered from various parts of the .body. No morphine was detected in any of the organs. Tho fact that no* morphine was found did not i show that the patient was not affected by morphine poisoning. There were cases on record of definite morphine poisoning in which none was detected afterTvards. If the, man had had one grain of inorpliine spread oyer 24 hours witness would not. expect to find traces.. "Witness said that powder boxes given him contained four powders, each containing seven grains of veronal. A drinking glass contained liquid in which crystals were visible, and from the lip of the glass and a spoon in it he recovered If grains of veronal. Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, medical practitioner, said he was acquainted with deceased's medical history from July of last year. He was -present at the post-mortem examination And prepared a report. This stated that deceased was examined for .abdominal symptoms last July, but the symptoms subsided quickly. The symptoms recurred, and' an X-ray examination indicated. that the appendix was the source of trouble. Dr. Webster operated, and the patient appeared to have completely recovered. Post-Mortem Examination Two months later deceased returned, and witness found a swelling on the ?ight side of the abdomen. Witness operated and found a large abscess tinder the right ribs. He did not observe any other disorder; Anderson was discharged about December 7. Witness saw Anderson On Sunday, February 16,

at the hospital. He was deeply unconscious and appeared to be in a serious condition. He died early the following morning. Witness was present at the post-mor-tem examination made by Dr. Gilrnour, and, there was found a cancer of the large intestine.. It had the appearance of rapid growth. There was a suspicion of cancer of the bowel from the very _ ciutset. He thought the abscess definitely had its origin in the cancer. Witness would have expected the patient to have suffered moderate but not intense pain, v- '' Answering Mr. Singer witness said it was almost certain Anderson was in a cancerous condition last July. He could not exactly estimate the amount s of pain suffered by a man in such a condition, but could only go on general lines.

Mr. Singer: You would not be surprised that the late Mr. Anderson complained of excruciating agony shortly before his death? —It would rather surprise me. ; . Db you think it was impossible s —ln Relation to the findings of the post-mor-iem examination I think it was possible.Witness said that had it not been for the abscess the cancer would readily have been discovered in October. '

Questions by Ooronei

if; The Coroner: Was any reason given jrou for his condition at hospital?— It was reported to me by my, ho"use ifcurgeon that he had had a large dosp of veronal. : Mr. Singer: And morphia?—No, I did not hear that. I understand he had Been treated as a case of veronal poisoning. Jjl'he CoroneA Was it your suggestion that there should be a post mortem? —I was very anxious there should lie, but Peannot remember whether 1 suggested it. Did it not strike you as rather an unusual thing to hold a post mortem examination when a man had died of poisoning ?—lt may be, I accepted the responsibility. Do you accept it as a matter of medical practice that in a case of poisoning the death is reported' to the police without interference with the body?—Oh, yes. Nurse M. L. Silk, district nurse employed at the Auckland Hospital, gave ■evidence of having visited deceased at his home at Point Chevalier. On February 13 she found him in bed looking very ill. Dr. Hastings was attending him. He had some small pills like the little liver pilLo produced. Witness thought he looked very ill and like a malignant case ve-Sergoant Walsh: Would ms .condition have allowed him to help dcT^tlat^ 0^nec ** c * ne '—yes, he rouid Hastings said Anderson e-i£ a - r ?. from July lasj/ urfirthe time of his death":"On January 31 witness prescribed for Anderson

21 triple powders of five grains each to be taken three times % day. It was a simple powder to relieve pain. Witness said that on at least one occasion Mrs. Anderson told him that her husband was suffering from cancer. Witness said lie proscribed further powders for Anderson on February 5. Mrs, Anderson asked him to prescribe morphia, but he said he could not possibly do that without seeing the patient. "1 must have seen him that day/ although 1 cannot. recoHect it,'' said witness, "because J did* prescribe." Mr. Singer: Have you no record, doctor? —just a mark made of the visit: no exact date. Witness said he garc another triple powder containing fivo brains of barbitone. Ho usually told the wife in such a case if one powder did not take effect to give a second one. The powders were to relievo pain and give sleep. << Deeply Unconscious "

Detective-Sergeant Walsh: Did you give anyone a prescription for morphia tabletsP—Yes, one-*i:;th grain tablets. Witness said he went to Anderson s house early on Sunday morning, Ivcbruarv 16, and, found iiho patient unconscious. He was obviously either under the influence of some drug or he might have been . uiraemic.

Witness telephoned to Dr. Webster, who said the patient had had no sign of cancer while in hospital. He had been a mystery to them while there. Dr. E. B. Gunson said that on Sunday, February 16, lis found Anderson deeply unconscious and slightly cyanosed. Pulse beats and heart were feeble. There was a large swelling on the right side of tlu abodmen, showing characteristics of a malignant growth. The pupils did not react to light. "I formed the opinion," said witness, "that his state of unconsciousness was not adequately explained by the presence of the growth as well as by the administration of the drugs that had been ordered." Witness advised the patient's removal to the hospital, and told Mrs. Anderson that wns his only chance": Witness thought he was showing signs of an overdose of some drug of the opium group, but that did not fully explain the circumstances. Detective-Sergeant Walsh said Anderson had taken eight powders in a period of 48 hours.

Witness said these would contain 5.6 grains of. opium and he had also had two' one-sixth grain tablets. Detpcti VP-Sergeant Walsh: Would the amount of opium contained in those powders have any bearing on his death? —lt would not of itself hav.e killed him, but it might have been a contributing factor. Witness added that if the' man had not had cancer he would have expected him to recover. Tho Coroner:. He was really in a state of coma on Sunday morning, wasn't he?—lt might bo described as coma. The breathing was not the stertorous breathing of veronal poisoning.

Arranging Post-mortem Dr. J. W. Craven, medical superintendent of the Auckland Hospital, produced records of the deceased's medical history at the hospital. The Coroner: Did you direct the holding of the post-mortem examination?—l got the permission of the wife to hold the examination.

Why was that?—To clear up the cause of death.

Do you mean the cnusp of death could not be accurately ascertained without that?—l should say it could not have been ascertained without thnt.

Was there no suspicion of his unconsciousness. being caused bv a drug? —There was that possibility. Dr. Hastings spoke to rue about it on the Sunday morning. When was his desith reported to the police?—On the Monday morning. It is not the custom, is it. where there is suspicion of poisoning to hold a post-mortem without first reporting to the police?—We always refer deaths of that type to the policp. Why was the post-mortem done without the coroner's authority ?-r-I suppose it can be put down to over-en-thusiasm.

Very damaging enthusiasm, perhaps. Chemists and Prescriptions Arthur Roberts, chemist., of Karangabape Road, said that on January 31 he ; made .up six five-grain triple powders for Anderson. A few days later he made up 12 seven-grain powders for Mrs. Anderson from the same prescription. Mrs. Anderlioh said the doctor told l het she ebuld increase the Strength of the drtse. "J understood Mr. Anderson had cancer." said witness. "and we have a fair amount of latitude where cuncer is concerned." On Friday. February 14, the order was ! repeated for Mrs.; Anderson. It was exactly the same—l2 seven-grain powders, containing seven grains of vero» nal. To Mr. Singer witness said he knew Anderson was in great pain, and this prescription was the most common one used in hospital to relieve pain. In answer to the coroner, the witness said the usual procedure was for the doctors to give the-chemis£s a certain amount of latitude in repeating prescriptions—to be verified at a later date. The Coroner: .At a later date? It mav .be too late.—ln this kind of preseription "sve verify it by telephone* Verify what?—lF you have go' the actual prescription you verif.v by ringing up .the doctor. In this case I rang up later in "he week. It seems an unsafe latitude. Does it not seem so to you ? ■' A. G. Peascod, chemist, at Point Chevalier, gave evidence that he had sold a phial of noctal tablets on Saturday, February 15, to a young man who said he wanted'them for Mr. Anderson, who was suffering; from cancer. Ho came back a few hours later for a sleeping draught, saying that the tablets had not proved effective. Witness also made up for him a prescription from Dr. Hastings for one-sixth grain morphia tablets. Pathologist's Evidence

The pathologist at the Aucklnrjrt H°B- - Dr. W. Gilmour, described tho result of his post-mortem examination, and said the appearances were not those usually found in cases of fatal veronal poisoning. He considered the cancer found would bo it sufficient causo of death.

1 Detective-Sergeant Walsh: Docs not the : finding 'of the Government analyst indicate rt pdisonOuk dose of veronal?— Oh, yes, the quantity recovered does indicate a pojsopous. dose. ' FiVe' and 3-5 grains of opiiim distributed over two days was within a medicinal dose, witness said. Fifty-six grains of barbitone over 48 hours was a very larjie dose, but not such as would ho fatal to a normal healthy person The Coroner: Would it be a fatal dqse for this man? —L think it could bo. Lesser quantities have produced fatal residts on persons suffering from disease. • r Witness said death was due to cancer, accelerated by veronal and opium. Deceased'u Wife Called < Eve Muriel Anderson, widow of the deceased, said her husband had been in poor health for about 3£ years. He never had one hour free of pain after his discharge from hospital. "From tho day he came home from seeing Dr. Souter he threw it in; lie did not want to live," .said witness. That would he in January. He told her then he was dying of cancer. He could not sleep and at his request she got him a bottle ol noctaj tablets, but they had very little effect. At her request Dr. Hastings sup plied him with powders on January 31. but they had no effect at all. He always took the powders himself. Dr. Hastings told her to increase the quantity and that her husband could have them everv four hours. The witness had not completed her when- tire' Court' adjourned until this morning.