THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1905. THE STONEBURN FATALITIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13208, 15 February 1905, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1905. THE STONEBURN FATALITIES.

The inquests oil the two yoting wen who unfortunately died in tlio biiuedhi Hospitiil last month from poisoning at Stoiiebiirn terminated rather ciiriolisly yesterday, in the return of different verdicts by the juries in the respective cases/' One jury found that death was due to ptomaine poisoning, while the other came to the conclusion that, while poisoning was tlib cause of death, there was no evidence to show what the poison was or how it was absorbed. That the same cause operated to produce the two deaths and that poisoniiig was that caiiso is, of co'u ree,, perfectly clear,' The evidence that was tendered yesterday was, however, of'such* a nature as to leave the deplorable occurrence a greater mystery tlisiii it had been popularly supposed to be. For if, as it was suggested, the police had started off with thk

theory that the deaths were due to ptomaine poisoning, conseqiientipou tiie fact that tinned tongues hail formed part of the last meal which was eaten by the deceased, it cannot be.doubted that

thd public as a whole wis widely impressed with the same belief. The result of the analysis which was made of the toiigues shows somewhat strikingly the unwisdom of forming hasty conclusions. Mr' G. M, Thomson, ivlio had made a searching analysis, of the tins of tongues'that were harided to him by.the police, stitM that lie had been unable to discover any poisoiioiis

' ■ ptomaihes in tllfem iirid that ho could iiot have faiieti to, discover tiieni if they liad bec-11 present. Tlie evidence does not dispose of fte suggestion that,the deaths were diie to jstbixiaiiie poisbriibg, focptoffiaines might hiive been contained in soiiio of t-iio food which was consumed by the deceased; but it should have the effect- of allaying very considerably any alarm which tlib public may have entertained respecting the safoty of eating tinned food. It would be idle to suppose that there is no danger of incurring jJtbihaiiie Jioisoiiiiig through the consumption of preserved tongues br of tinned 'salmon or of rtny

other canned nibats. We know, as a matter of fact, tliiit sitcli a danger does exist; but the risk is iiot greater than it is of the occilrrence, of ptomaine poisoning through the consumption of inaiiy other kinds of food tiiat are found oii tlie table of every family ill tile land. In fact; the processes to which tinned meats are subjected in the course of preservation are calculated to prevent the possibility of the presence of ptomaines. Tliis being the case, the existence of any scare; such as has.manifested itself to soine extent in the coinniunifcy since the fatal termination of the Stoneburn poisoning cases, is unreasonable. The evidence given by Jlr Thomson and Professor Black at' the inquests was, however, of such a reassuring character that wo cliniiot suppose that the confidence of the public in tinned meats as an article of diet will not be speedily restored. The meatpreserving industry in New Zealaiid has assumed important diihoiisjons, and the demand of the public both here and elsewhere for its products has been so extensive in the past that we do not suppose there is any appreciable accumulation of old stock either in the manufacturers' premises oi- in the retail stores; but the suggestion that the tins should bear the date of the production of the goods is one which the manufacturers ivill probably not hesitate to adopt. While it is difficult to see what objection;) could be urged from any point of view against the suggestion, its adoption would have the effect of providing the public with a safeguard, if one were desired, against the risk of tlie purchase of old stock that might possibly have become tainted. It is unsatisfactory that the evidence received at the inquests as to the cause of death was so largely of a negative cftder, hut we are sure that the public will be greatly relieved to know that some of the apprehensions it had formed on the subject have no definite foundation.