REMARKABLE DEATH DIARY

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1930, Page 9

REMARKABLE DEATH DIARY

SENSATION OF POISONING “FREEDOM FROM WORRIES.” ENGLISH DOCTOR’S SUICIDE . By Telegraph—Press Assn; —Copyright. London, Dec. 3. A remarkable diary describing his own slow death from poison left by Dr. Hugh Lonsdale Hands, aged 03, an inoculation expert at Brighton, was produced at, the inquiry at which a verdiet of suicide while of unsound mind was returned.

Entries were made in a. bold handwriting as follow: “I have had half an ounce of aconite and an ounce of chloral hydrate. Both were nice except for a tingling feeling. ' I am happy, for it is the first time I have ever felt without worry—as though lam free. My heart must be strong; it -won’t give way; it is a' long time since it was so slow. The Japs are right; death is lovely. I feel fine and there is no pain. I have not told the wife, everything. I did not want to worry her. “I feel sleepy and my pulse is still -rood. Please have my vein opened. I may find myself alive in the, coffin. It is a terrible thought. I await the next manifestation. I believe now in a just God and hot in man's laws. lam very comfortable. Half the furniture and the piano is to go to the wife. The pulso is still good, and I anr just getting slightly dazed. I ahi quite happy. Surely I cannot live oil. , I comfortable. I have just been; sick; I must take prussic. The pulse is good.” There followed other technical comments and then: “I have an extraordinary pulse and it is running well. I teel fine. When will it all be over?” Then finally: “God seems to be over me. lam just leaving for a lovely ybyawe, but it is slow. For the first time I°am without worry; money is nothing. The evidence showed that the doctor saw two patients after taking >the poison. A letter to his wife said he was heavily in debt and he asked what there was to be gained by. all the.. stiidy and research.- The answer was “nothing. Meanwhile general practitioners made fortunes out, ofi humbug, the diary added. , , . ’ ' '