GIN POISONING.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3966, 24 June 1887, Page 3

GIN POISONING.

The Australian despatch of a contemporary contains the following : — Wm. Gilroy, aged 18 years, one of the six lads who " feasted " on gin at Ballarat, died at the Hospital from alcoholic poisoning. It seems that the deceased and a companion named Buckstone. aged 16 years, proceeded to the railway station with a number of juvenile friends, to say farewell to an acquaintance who had played football m Ballarat, and who was about to return to Melbourne. On the way to the station one of the young men, there were six altogether, entered a wine and spirit store, and purchased a quart bottle of gin. This was consumed and then another messenger wag despatched for a second quart bottle of the same spirit, which was likewise handed around among the company to drink. A third, fourth, and, it is stated, a fifth quart bottle were subsequently purchased somewhere and drunk, with the result that five or six lads became what is commonly termed "dead drunk," and all lay about on tho ground like corpses. Gilroy was found m a critical state by the police, and he waß removed to the hospital for medical treatment, where he died, having been 14 hours unconscious. Buckstone was brought before the City Bench, but as he appeared to be m a critical condition the Inspector asked for a remand to the gaol hospital for medical treatment saying it was probable he would also succumb to alcoholic poisoning. It appears that the grocer or grocers who supplied the drink aro not to blame, as each bottle of gin was purchased by a different lad at various intervals, and each was served by a different shopman. It is thought that, •part from its alcoholic properties the gin consumed may have contained other, and perhaps deleterious ingredientß, and, therefore,an analysis will be ordered.