INQUEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9959, 30 January 1894, Page 3

INQUEST.

DEATH FROM PHOSPHOBUS POISONING,

An inquest was held at the Pelichet Bay Hotel yesterday afternoon before the district coroner (Mr E. H. Carew) and a jury of Bix (Mr F. W. Eggers, foreman), on the body of Emily Cook Patch, whose death occurred at her residence in Albany street on Sunday

morning. .John Cook Patch, a labourer, stated that his late wife seemed perfectly right on the 22nd inst. He had no quarrel whatever with her. She seemed to him, when he came home in the evening, to have had a glass, but she was not the worse for liquor. He went out about half-past 8 for a walk, leaving his wife at home, but when he returned about 10 o'clock, or shortly after, she was out. She came home : about midnight with Mr

Memung.-wno asked him if he was aware that

the wife had been eating matches. Witness replied "No." Meinung then said that she had told him she had done so, and that he had

got her to take something to make her vomit,

which she did. Meinung made her take another dose at home, giving her mustard and water, and this caused her to vomit a good deal. There was a pretty strong smell as of phosphorus from the vomit.' Meinung advised witness to procure a doctor in the event of her getting worse during the night, and he said he would do so. -- After Meinung had left, witness asked.the deceased why she had taken the matches, and she told him to mind bis own business. That was all that passed between them on the subject that night. She went off to sleep at once, and got up at half-past 5, the usual time, on Tuesday morning to get him his breakfast. She appeared to be all right; and the matter was not mentioned by either of them. He returned from his work at-5.45 p.m., and found his wife at home and the tea ready. After tea she said she was very sorry for what she had . dope; but she thought she was all right, as she felt no pain. - He asked her what caused her to take the matches,': and sho : said it was her temper, and jit was a rash act. She kept well iintil the Thurßdayafternoon'. When Ua'came home that evening she was lying down on the bed, and she sajd she did not feel very well! Witness asked, if she would have the doctor, and she said they would wait till the morning and see, as she was not so bad. She slept very well that night, but on the Friday morning she said she would send for Dr Martin, as she felt ho better.. On his returning home in the evening from his work the deceased told him that Dr , Martin had been: ; He asked her if she told: the doctor she had taken matches, and she said "Yes." On Saturday afternoon, when fehe came home, she told him that the doctor had said she was a little better. She vomited frequently at night. Be asked her if she felt much pain and if he should fetch the doctor, but she said "No." He did not ask her if > she had taken matches again, nor did he suspect her of having taken arty. She was easier, as he thought,' about 6 o'clock on Sunday-morning.: About 9 o'clock he went in to give her the medicine prescribed by Dr Martin, butfound she was in a dying state. That was the first time he had noticed that she was seriously bad. Jle sent for Dr Martin, and brought his sister, Mrs Blandon, but she died about 10 minutes after the latter arrived, and before Dr Martin came. He found some remains of matches, with the headj off, on Tuesday last. She had bought 12 penny boxes of matches on the'previous Friday. He found that five of them had gone, irrespective of those he had used. He thought that one would have, been sufficient for ordinary use during the time. '■■ Halvor Meinuog, fishmonger, residing in George street, deposed that the deceased came to his house about 10.30 p.m. on the 22nd, wlion she seemed very much agitated: His wife asked her what was the matter, and she said that she had taken matches. Witness told her it was his duty to give her in charge, but she begged aud prayed him not to do so, and he then said if she would take an emetic he would sea how she got, on." He gave her two or three cupa of mustard and water. , After the first «up she vomited what seemed to be a stream of liquid fire, which smelt very strongly, of phosphorus. She retched a good deal" after the second and third cups; and when she .had rested he took her home to her husband. She came to his place next morning and paid the felt all right, but Bhe looked pale. On the Wednesday she sent a note to his wife stating that she did not feel very well, and that if she (Mrs Meinung) would put off her washing for a week -she would come up and help her. She also said that " Jack " (her husband) and she were quite friends agaiD. On tho Monday night witness asked her why she had taken the matches, and she replied that it was only her temper—that ehe was afraid that her husband by his kindness might take the love of her child away from her. She said she had picked the heads of the matches off and eaten them one by one. He •understood her to say that she had eaten the -contents of a big box and two small ones, and that she had taken them about an hour-and a-half before. ■ :

Dr Martin, who was the next witness, said in the course of his evidence that when he saw the •deceased on the Friday morning she complained of sickness, and he asked her if she knew of any cause, but she said "No." There was no evidence of anything beyond simple gastric disturbance, with a slightly elevated temperature, and he prescribed for her. On the next moming her temperature was normal, and her own statement was that the sickness had abated.* She was not communicative, and told, him nothing at all about matches. He had no information abont them until after death. A person might die suddenly from, phosphorus poisoning, but as a rule death would not ensue for five or six days. There was often, as in this case, an abatement of sickness for two or three days. Mr MeinuDg acted rightly, but witness thought deceased should have been put in a doctor's hands immediately. In his opinion phosphorus poisoning was the cause of death.

Harriet Madams" (who' stated that on the morning of the 23rd the deceased told her. she had eaten the heads of three boxes of matches on the previous night in order to vex her husband, because he had annoyed her, and that the deceased said on the Friday that-she did not like to tell the doctor what she had done) and Elizabeth Blandon also gavq evidence. The Coroner, in leaving the case to the jury, said it seemed the hußband had made a very great mistako in not doing more than he did. He should certainly have told the police or got a doctor to attend her at once, and if ho had done bo probably his wife's life would have been saved. : .

The Jury found that death resulted from the deceased taking matches while in a state of temporary insanity, and added that the husband erred in not calling in a doctor at once.