SERIOUS POISONING CASE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2720, 2 May 1906, Page 30

SERIOUS POISONING CASE.

TWO MEN AFFECTED. DEATH OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS. Archibald M'Kay and John Gillman Anderson, employed afc the cement works at Pelichet Bay, were overcome last week through inhaling ' poisonous ' acid fumes. , On Tuesday afternoon, between 4 <and 5 o'clock, they were removing the zinc from galvanised wire by dip- J ping it in a :ask of diluted hydrochloric, of muriatic, acid, and it is thought ] that the fumes of the acid, which has j extremely poisonous action, got into the men's systems ihrough breathing. It is an acid fhat is known to chemists to be very injurious to the Jungs. About 10 minutes aiter knocking off this branch of ! their work the men became very sick, and j went to their homes — Anderson to St. Clair and M'Kay to Athoi place.^ Their condition becoming serious, medical^ assistance ' was procured on Tuesday evening, but up to the present neither of the sufterers has rallied to any extent, and yesterday morning the condition of both was so critical that it was decided to take their depositions. Anderson, who was removed to the Hospital on Thursday, made a statement in the presence of Mr C C. Graham, S.M., Inspector O'Brien, Chief Detective Herbert, and Mr F. Oakden (manager of the Milburn Lime and Cement Company). The party then proceeded to M'Kay' s home, 97 Athol place, to take his statement, but his medical adviser being of opinion that the man's condition was too low to stand the strain no further evidence was taken M'Kay died aa early hour on Thursday morning. Anderson is a single man. He is a brother of Mr J. T. Noble Anderson, the Drainage Board's engineer. M'Kay was married, with a family. The statement made by Anderson in the Hospital is as follows ; % — '* I am foreman of the Monier pipe works, Pelichet Bay. In the manufacture of these pipes we use a large amount of wire ncttihg. This netting must be of cleatf* iron, not galvanised. Of late we ran short of tho cl&an wire and had to fall back on galvanised wire netting. To remove the galvanising we had to use a solution of hydrochloric acid and water. We made use of a large cask to do this. I had no means of knowing what this cask had been used for previously. I cannot say for certain whether the cask had been used for , the same purpose before, but I had used a similar cask. The first time we used a cask, 10 daya ago, nothing happened— that is, we felt no bad effects. On Tuesday la3t we used the same solution, and we had to add considerably more acid, as it was weak. We were pretty closely over it for about half an hour that .time. M'Kay was with me. Within a quarter of an hour of completing the job we both began to feel very sick. We called at the Middlemarch Hotel and had a whisky, after which we felt better. I was very sick. We had "both been retching, and felt a peculiar prickling sensation of the skin on the face. I rode out to St. Clair on my bicycle, where I stopped for the night. Immediately after tea I collapsed. I believo M'Kay went home. I felfc slightly better until half-way through tea, then I had continuous vomiting and violent pains in the abdomen. We sent for Dr Church and Dr de Lauiour. Dr Church came first, and gave me a hypodermic injection of morphia, which eased me. I went to bed on Tuesday night. I was in i bed when the doctor came, and have remained in bed ever since. I was removed to the Hospital at noon to-day. Dr de Lautour has attended me. It was by his

orders that I was removed to the Hospital. The cask used for the galvanising' was supplied by the works manager (Mr Allen). Nothing was : -said as, to what the cask, iad previously been usedfor or, as' to what it; contained. It was an old oil cask, I think. W© had it carefully washed before* it was used. lam not a chemist. I did' not have an opportunity 'of making any complaint to anyone of the- deleterious effects upon M'Kay and myself.' .We remained on the work's for about"* quarter; of an hour after feeling the effects of the fumes. We were not then working, over the cask. We tidied up and left i I w.as in charge of this particular department l of the works. The actual' mixing of ;the bath of hydrochloric acid was done, by M'Kay; under my directions. We added acid 1 until it. began to work— degalvanisinr. We -had sufficient acid at hand "for ,'all requirements. The acid was in. the store. I cannot say where it came from. Mr Allen pointed out the particular jar in which the acid was kept. There is nothing; further I can add. I understand . that fciis is a dyii2,<? declaration on my part (signjedi by a cross mark). Anderson died on Monday a fternoon fat 1 o'clock. The Jeath was reported to file coroner, but it is believed that an inqupst will not ba recessary, ac \he evidence Xto be taken at the inquest on M'Kay, "^ih» other victim, will 'be applicable in Ander-' son's case.

The number of factories iii Dunedin -City, and -suburbs registered witTi the inspector of factories- up, to the beginning of last month was 1013, an increase' 6,£ 191 4b compared with the previous year. The number oj hands employed in these 1013 factories was 10,308, an increase of 555 over the

number eniployed during, the previous year, A brandh of the Union Bank of Australia is now open at Gore. >•