ALCOHOLIC POISONING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2728, 27 June 1906, Page 33

ALCOHOLIC POISONING.

ATTEMPT TO CURE A OOLD. IXrERCARGTLL. June 24. At the inquest 'On the fcodjr of .Tames Anderson Bra.»s, a railway fireman, it was fbown tliat the j-oung fellow, who -was -not addicted #o taking liquor, met three mates last S?tunflay night. They visited one hot*!, *nd one of his mates advised Bra*s not to drink. The latter said he had a bad cold .and would take brandy and port -wine to drive it <wt. He took liquor in largequantities — eight jjles^es in all — m two hotels within an hour and a-half. Trot witnesses said "he shewed no ttign of -drunkenness till h*; came out to tlie street, where lie collapsed. A cab was got and Braes sent home. Reaching "there, the -driver found him helpless, and partly carried him insid« of in* gate. He then weut to the hou»e door, which was nm opened to hia knock, but someone spcilc-e. H*vi«g told that he had -bremg-ht home a mtm he was told that it could be mo -one who lived in Lhe lnw-e if lie was -drank. The cahma.n'« horse having become Testive toe w«nt to secure it. ar^3. on the supposition that the man hbs nter-e'y dead druiik. ■drove away. Brass lay 20 xuhnrtes -outside before 'being seen. All the witnesses, including the c*bmau, sakl that if they had suspßcted tlie man was suffering from aß3't;hiiig more than Lh© -effect of liquor they would have jfot a. doctor and wottkl not hu-ve lot him go home ilone. The medical 'evidence was to ih* jjffeet that dc«th was due to acute alconolic poi?oni-ng. The organs were not a.ll in a healthy condition, the lungs .showing :races of influenza, but there was nothing 1 1.0 account for death but the quantity of liquor oorenirood in a brief time, ilad a. nodical man beon naJJ*<] •there was *very ik-plihood thp man would have recovered, ijjring exposed on the gTass was also detrinental. The coroner (Mr M'Carthy. S M.) spoke strongly, but Admirted that it was jasy io ho wi«e after the event, and de■caoed's mates had not shown any nliumaiiitx : but they might have ««n him mmc. He l>lamocl the pubJicun wJkj Rave six dnnks of strong liquor to a nian Mithm in hour. The -jury found that death was iue to acute alcoholic noisofijuai