PTOMAINE POISONING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23947, 24 October 1939, Page 6

PTOMAINE POISONING

PLIGHT OF HOLIDAY CAMPERS AID FROM AMBULANCE OFFICER FORTUNATE CHANGE VISIT (Per United Press Association^, AUCKLAND. Oct. 23. ' Seven young men were seriously affected by ptomaine poisoning while spending the Labour Day holiday in a seaside cottage at Onetangi, Waiheke Island. A sister of a member of the party was also affected while'Visiting the cottage during the day. Had it not been for a. chance visit of a St. John Ambulance Brigade officer, Mr William Saul, the .plight of "the party would have been much worse since they were all too helpless to go for aid.

Those affected were William |Kenneth Peet, aged 18, of Heme Bay; Desmond Watson Hurley, aged 18. of Heme Bay; William John St. Clair Mac Lardy, aged 17, of Mount 1 Eden; Walter Bryan Stehr, aged* 19, of Heme Bay; Leonard James Lawrence Pasey, aged 18, of Heme Bay; Keith Murray McLean, aged 18, of Heme Bay; Patricia Mac Lardy, aged 18, of Onetangi; and one other young man. It is stated that the party had used an aluminium saucepan for poaching eggs last night To-day the. same saucepan was used for boiling spaghetti. It was while eating, this that every member of the party, became violently ill. None was able ,td leave the cottage to seek assistance and no member of the party had any first-aid knowledge. . , , Mr Saul arrived at the cottage on a chance visit not long after the -iparty had been affected. He worked" strenuously single-handed to relieve their suffering and to-night all those affected paid him a high tribute to the way he had helped them. All the young men intended returning to Auckland to-night, but they were too ill to travel and will not go back to the city until to-morrow afternoon. Peet was the most, seriously affected and he is still unable to leave his' bed. , '