ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 38, 29 December 1841, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

To the’Editor of the New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette. Sir, —An occurrence took place here last Sunday week, wliich had nearly proved fatal to thirteen sailors on board the Aube, French corvette. They had liberty from their Commanding Officer to amuse themselves for the day; they landed in Matavia Bay, and immediately commenced eating the fruit of the Tupahe, the seed of which is a most active poison, the sad effects they did not feel until they were on their return to the ship, when every one of them was attacked. As the surgeon of the ship was absent on leave, the Commodore sent for me, and having seen many cases of poisoning from the seeds of this fruit, 1 took the necessary antidotes with me. The first man I visited, I found in a dying state. I made use of the stomach pump, and introduced twenty grains of the sulphate of zinc into his stomach, but that organ had perfectly lost its power, and in a few minutes he died. I was more successful with the other men, as the emetic administered immediately caused the stomach to act, and though they remained in a very precarious state during all that night, and the following day, yet through the constant attention and skill of the surgeon of the ship, who had been sent for, they eventually recovered. May I reques you will give this publicity through your widely circulated journal, so as to warn newly arrived immigrants of the baneful effects of the seed of this fruit, the juice of which is very palateable, and makes an excellent wine; but the natives, who are well aware of the poisonous effects of the seed, press it through cloth, or the leaves of the fern, so as to avoid the seeds. It may be of service? also to point out to the public the symptoms which show themselves from the action of this poison, and the means lately employed on board the Aube, for the recovery of the patients. There were no premonitory symptoms displayed, but each patient was suddenly attacked with tremblings, quickly succeeded by coma, or insensibility, convulsions, violent spasms, with tetanus, and trismus or locked jaw ; the muscles of the neck and back became rigid and stiff, and during the intermission of the paroxysms, the patient was quite delirious. In fact, the symptoms all through exactly resemble those of the poison of Nux Vomica, and if a remady be not speedily applied, would prove as fatal. The grand object, of course, is to remove the poison from the stomach as quickly as possible, and for this purpose, I should give the preferance to emetics, rather than the stomach pump as the seeds have small spiculse attached, which causes them to adhere closely to the lining membranes of the stomach, and the stomach pump does not so readily disengage them as an emetic. The emetic I made use of as being most active was the sulphate of zinc, or as it is commonly called, white copperas ; 20 grains dissolved in half-a-pint of tepid water, it will be found necessary however, to repeat the emetie frequently, in order to detach the seeds from the lining membranes of the stomach, and I made use of a table spoonful of mustard, dissolved in half a pint of tepid water. The extremities and body of the patient will be found quite cold, and hot fomentations with mustard poultices to the the feet, and abdomen should be applied, and occasionally a few drops of spirits of hartshorn, or a little hot brandy and water should be given to rouse the dormant action of the stomach. The next thing to be guarded against, after re-action has taken place, is inflamation of the stomach and bowels, which was timely met by Dr. Raul, the surgeon of the *• Aube,’’ by topical bleeding and doses of castor oil and other purgatives. The men were perfectly convalescent when the the Aube” left this port, last Tuesday. The natives have a cure of their own, which they say is generally very efficacious in removing the poisonous effects. They pour as much water down the patient’s throat as the stomach will contain, and then roll the patient over and over until vomiting is produced. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, WILLIAM DAVIES, M. D. Kororarika, Bay of Islands, December 15,1841.

To the Editor of the New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette. \ Sir, —Permit me, through the medium of your Paper, to direct the attention of the public to the “ Postage Bill,” at present before the Legislative Council, the second reading of which is appointed for Wednesday next. The clause to which I more particularly refer is the 10th, by whicli our present reasonable rates of postage are proposed to be altered as follows— Letters of half-an-ounce os. 6d. “ half-ounee to ounce 1 0 “ one ounce to ounce and half.. 1 6 and 6d. for every additional half-onnce thereafter. These rates are altogether exorbitant and unreasonable, and it is difficult to imagine any better ground for them than by supposing that the Government have run short of funds, and have caught the first opportunity of imposing a tax; but if such is the object, it would be more honest, and better calculated for the interest of the colony to admit so at once, and impose such a tax as may fall equally upon all, according to their means and interest in the colony, instead of introducing the partial system of postage—unjust in its own nature, and injurious to commerce in the highest degree. Postage as a means of revenue has been abandoned at home by the enlightenment of the age, and if it was there found injurious to commerce, as well as a barrier in the way of general civilization, it is certainly to be deprecated the introduction of the system here. As a tax —it is grossly partial in its operation, affecting only a small portion of the community; besides which, it will be very unproductive, the rates being so high as to create inducement sufficient to evade the law by every possible means—indeed, as the crude Bill stands at present, no evasion seems necessary, there being no penalty for sending letters otherwise than by post. Such being the case one would almost suppose that taxation is not the main object after all; and this view of the subject derives confirmation from looking at the “ franking” clause by which t h Governor, his Private Secretary, the Chief Justice, Colonial Secretary, Officer in Command of the Forces, Attorney-General, Colonial Treasurer, Members of Legislative Council, Collector of Customs, Clerk of the Council, and Postmaster-Gene-ral can frank as many letters each day as they chuse by simply adding “O. H. M. S.’» on the back of each letter, so that it may safely be inferred that the few letters which would have reached the Mail, and paid postage, will be franked by some of these privileged individuals, and th us . t he revenue be defrauded of every sixpence. Franking under such a system will become a most lucrative source of gain. The individual franking will be well paid with 6d. for each letter, and as the public will save from 6d, to Is. 6d. on each transaction, there is likely to be no lack of employment. Seriously—the system of u franking” is most objectionable. The privilege was grossly abused at home, and there can be no good reason for supposing that it will not be so here also. It is ' not likely that communications by post on the affairs of State will be very numerous for some time to come; but if they were, the rates of postage should be such, that the paying f or these communications can be no great object to the individuals concerned, and as the system has been abandoned at home, it should not be introduced here. Under any circumstances, the permitting any class of individuals to frank ad Hbatum is grosslyunjust and unreasonable, and it is to be hoped that the liberal Members of Council wili have sufficient courage and self-denial at once to reject a privilege so obviously inconsistent with the just rights of the public at large. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, DELTA.