CAUSES MAN’S DEATH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16895, 27 November 1925, Page 9

CAUSES MAN’S DEATH.

OVERDUKE UK VERONA I

HANDLING OK NARCOTICK. (Per (.’less Association.) AUCKLAND, last nigiil. The necessity for regulating the sale of yeronal tablets' was referred t.o today by Mr. F. K. Hunt, K.AL, Coron&v, at .an inquest concerning the death of •John Marioribauks Steele (53), who died on November 14 from an overdose of the drug. Harriet Steele, widow of the deceased, said her husband had been practically an invaiid for some months. lie seized’ through the South African war, in whiih lie sul’fnred severe injuries. Foi many years he had been addicted to drugs, and lately lie bad been careless in taking veronal for insomnia. On Thursday, November 12. he retired to bed, remarking that lie expected, to sleep soundly. On Friday lie did not wake, and witness communicated with a doctor. After making several efforts lo rouse him slio decided to Jet him sleep. She became alarmed on Saturday morning when she found him still in a torpor, and. acting on the advice of the doctor in reply lo another telephone message, she bad him removed to I Inhospital at about- t) a.m. She bad occasionally taken drugs from bis pockets, and on this Saturday she found a bottb containing a few veronal tablets. Di. K. E. Webster said deceased died two hours after admission to the hospital. He had been treated about three weeks before fur an overdose of veronal. The Coroner: Where do these drugs come from? Witness: J understand they can be bought from any chemist. The Coroner: Then we had better get that stopped. It is a dangerous drug to be taken without a doctor’s super vision. Dr. W. H. Pettit said lex had attended deceased for the last six months for excessive drug-taking. He> knew of no restriction on the sale of veronal tablets, but considered some control was essential. There would have been little hope of saving deceased’s life mi. ess he could have been treated within two hours of taking the overdose. The Coroner: T think I will write to the authorities and draw attention to Hid handling of this narcotic. A verdict was returned that death was due to an overdose of veronal, accidentally taken.