SUPPOSED POISONING FATALITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2801, 20 November 1907, Page 29

SUPPOSED POISONING FATALITY.

A young man named Herman Louis Sachtler, 19 years of age, died in the Hospital on Saturday from what is conjectured to be ptomaine poisoning. He left home on the morning of the 10th inst in company with six other young men to go for a picnic to Seacliff. They took with them a quantity of eatables, including canned salmon, canned pine apple, canned peare, and a tin of jam, of which the whole party partook. They returned to town on the 11th inst.,* and deceased went to work on the 12th and 13th. On the 14th he complained of abdominal pains, and went to bed. Dr O'Neill was called in that day, and Dr Roberts was summoned to see the young man on the day following, and after consultation Sachtler was removed to the Hospital, where he died, ac before etoted, on Saturday from, it ii believed, partaking of the canned foods at SeacliiF.

THE IXQUEST.

An inquest was held at the Dunedin Hospital on the 18th into the circumstances connected with the death of Herman Louis Sachtler, 19 years of age, an iron-moulder, who died at the institution on Saturday. The inquiry was held before the coroner (Mr O. C. Grpjham) and a j'iry, of whom Mr J. H. Wilkinson, was selected foreman.

Dr W. S. Roberts stated that he was called in to see deceased at his residence on Friday last, before he was admitted to the Hospital. Sachtler was then in a state of collapse, and had been suffering from intense diarrhoea. His condition seemed to be urgent, and to require special treatment, and he was recommended for admission to the Hospital. The symptoms pointed to some intestinal trouble. "When seen in the Hospital on Saturday morning deceased was in a dying condition, and he died shortly afterwards. On Sunday morning a post mortem was held by witness. The intestines showed signs of great congestion, and the glands which received lymph from the intestines were much swollen. The symptoms •were much the same a« those found after death, from cholera, the inference being that the patient suffered from some intestinal infection by bacteria-, which multiplied in the intestines, producing acute diarrhoea, and poisoning the eystem. Witness understood deceased, had been in camp, and bad partaken of tinned fish, but none of his companions, who partook of this food, had been similarly afteoted. Food could be infected in such a way as to produce the symptoms from which deceased suffered. Witness did not consider It a case of ptomaine poisoning as commonly understood, as the time that ela-psed from the eating of the fisk and the symptoms appearing was too long; but there was no doubt it was bacteria! poisoning of some kind, the source of which he was not in a position to state. It arose probably from eating or possibly from drinking something. All the other organs of the body were in a healthy condition. The stomach showed no signs o! irritant poisoning of any kind. Witness was at present conducting some laboratory investigations to ascertain the nature of the bacteria.

To Sergeant King: If deceased took tinned salmon on Monday, 11th inst., it was not probable that the effects would not appear until the 14th inst. If others partook of the fcod at the tame time and ii was

infected, they would suffer similarly tfll deceased. Acute diarrhoea, especially "in hot weather, would cause death. Witness thought it was improbable that death in Saoh tier's case arose from eating tinned fisli. -It might be due to natural causes'. Twenty-four hours would be about the tim* within which symptoms of ptomaine poisoning would appear.

Deceased's brother (Wilfred Sachtler) her* stated that the tinned food (salmon) waa partaken of in camp between 8 and 9 *,m. on Monday, and cramp in the stomach waa contained of by deceased at his work on Wednesday at about noon.

Dr Roberts said under those circumstances ho would modify the opinion previously given, and would say there was a remote possibility of some connection between th* tinned food and the cause of death.

"Wilfred Sachtler, boot salesman, a brother of deceased, stated that on Saturday, 9tb inst., witness and deceased and some other companions (seven altogether) went camping out at Purnkanui. Deceased went out ia the afternoon, and witness went oui later. The only tinned food was two tins of fruit, two of salmon, and one of jam. The tinned food wa« all eaten for breakfast on Monday. 11th inst, between 8 and 8 o'clock. No one except deceased suffered from any effects of taking this food. They all returned to town on Monday night, and deceased, who was in good health, went to work as usual on Tuesday morning. On Wednesday night he complained of having felt cramps in the stomach from midday. He was very ill during the evening, and suffered very severely from diarrhoea. A doctor was sent for on Thursday evening, and Dr O'Neill came about 8 p.m., and proscribed for deceased. On Friday morning Dr O'Nei.l com* again, and in the afternoon he brought Dr Roberts in consultation with* him, and deceased was ordered to be taken to the Hospital.

To Dr Falconer: AVc all took the fish from the sam* plate, and both tin* of wtlmon were emptied into it. Deceased did! not eat any more of the fish than th« others.

To the Coroner: Deceased did not partaka of any other tinned fish or meat afterwards to -witness's knowledge, and only took &• same food «s the rest of the family at bis home. They all came home together from) camp on the Monday night. The Foreman: Deceased appears to hay© been th« strongest of the party, and the only on« to suffer

Dr Robert*: Yes; and that seenui to point against the probability of death being due to the particular food mentioned.

Two other lads, who were in camp, saidt they could not add anything to the evidence already given. Dr Roberts, in reply to the foreman, mj<) he was certain death was due to intestinal 1 baciarial infection, but there was not sufficient evidence to conclusively show tha cause.

Dr F«!coner slated that when deceased was brought to the institution on the afternoon of th© 15th inst., the symptom* he presented were incessant vomiting, severe/ abdominal pains, cramp, diarrhoea, cold sweats, aneuria, and collapse. These wer« symptoms of bacterial intestinal affection, compatible with those caused by food infection. Thero were no other developments; ana deceased died on the morning of tha 16th, the cause of death being bacterial intestinal infection. The patient tad witness he had partaken of tinned salmon on tha Monday morning, and that the only other, meat partaken of after that was some meat patties at his home with other members oi his family. Cases had been reported ol bacterial infection 43 hours after taking food, but over 50 hours elapsed befora symptoms developed in this case— that was, if the infection was caused by eating th* salmon.

The CoToner briefly reviewed ,the evidence, saying that where all partook of the earn* food, it was difficult to say that the infection came from the fish, and tho jury returned it. verdict " That deceased died froml bacterial intestinal infection, but how caused there was not sufficient evidence to show."