OVERDOSE OF A DRUG

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23322, 4 October 1945, Page 4

OVERDOSE OF A DRUG

Tram Conductor’s Death (N.Z.P.A.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 3 Evidence that sedative tablets not prescribed at the hospital were found in deceased’s locker was given at the inquest into the death of Wilfred Rycroft, aged 45. a tram conductor held by the Coroner. Mr A. Addison. Rycroft died on April 13 at the Auckland Hospital where he had been operated on.

Dr. A. Coombes, house surgeon at the hospital, said some time between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on April 13 the ward sister informed him that she could not rouse Rycroft from his sleep and gave him two bottles containing tablets which she had found in the patient’s locker. Witness knew Rycroft was in the habit of sleeping and was not unduly alarmed. He was extremely busy in another ward, and as soon as he could he took the tablets to the dispenser and had them examined. It was thought one bottle contained phenobarbitone capsules and the other some kind of aspirin. He went to see the patient at 5 p.m. Una Williams, assistant dispenser at the hospital, identified two bottles as the ones found in Rycrn't’s locker, and °o id thev were not the sort of container issued at the h-snital.

Dr. Gilmour said that in his opinion death was due to an overdose of one of the barbiturate drugs other than luminal. To Mr Haigh. representing the relatives. he said the drug must have been something other than was contained in the bottles found in the locker. A verdict in accordance with the medical ev’d“n'’o was rntnmed