DOCTOR’S SUDDEN DEATH

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8748, 2 June 1914, Page 6

DOCTOR’S SUDDEN DEATH

OVERDOSE OF MEDICINE Press Association. '

DUNEDIN, June 1. Dr Alexander Gxahame, of Waikouaiti, died suddenly at his residence at 4 o’clock ’yesterday morning. , It appears he rose during the night to take some medicine, and must- have swallowed an overdose. Dr Graham© was a married man forty-two years of age.

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST

*>>■«■■ Association.

DUNEDIN, June 1. At the inquest on the body of Dr Grahamo, of Waikouaiti, the wife of deceased said that at about 4 a.m. yesterday deceased rose from bed, saying die was going to get another dose ol bromide, which he was in the habit of taking, and at about 8 p.m. on Saturday he had token a dose. When deceased went to bed'he showed signs of having had some liquor, and after the first dose of the .bromide he became somewhat dazed and restless in sl(eep. He .was considerably dazed when he got up at 4 o’clock. Since Tuesday he had been drinking occasionally, but had not touched liquor for the previous thirteen weeks. Wit ness found him in a state of collapse. Dr Howden (Palmerston) .deposco that it was highly improbable thai death was caused by an overdose ol the sleeping draught. Deceased wa> occasionally in the habit of . taking some drink, of which it took little to upset him. Witness did not think foi a moment he was a man who wolno commit suicide. If deceased took the amount now out of the bottle in two doses between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. tha. would be sufficient to cause death. ,

Dr Harrison, who made a .post-mor-,. tern, found the early stages of pne. monia. Both lungs showed evidence of an old trouble. The liver was congested and the heart slightly fatty. Nome of the above signs would cause sudden death, but, taken in conjunction with an overdose of the sleeping draught, .would speedily cause death, the resistance of the body being much lowered by the use of the drug. - A person talcing an overdose of the mixture at 8 p.m. would 'still be stupefied at 4 a.m., and would probably not bo iu a state to judge tbe quantity he was taking. , ;■ The jury found “that deceased died from an overdose of bromide self-ad-ministered, all the evidence, pointing to the fact that the action was accidental. The weakened state of the organs shown by the post-mortem probably assisted to cause Jbe death.”