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Thames Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 17764, 11 December 1929, Page 8

“It simply shows the necessity of warning youngsters of the danger of experiments,” said Dr. Inglis, Professor of, Chemistry at the University of Otago, when he was asked to comment on the accident in Christchurch, as the result of which a. boy named Edward Garrick was injured by ramming chlorate of potash throat lozenges and icing sugar down an iron pipe. The mixture of chlorate of potash and sugar was most dangerous, said the professor. When the chlorate and sugar were combined a feather was used for the mixing, and a drop of sulphuricacid on the chlorate immediately caused an explosion. The chlorate supplied the oxygen and the sugar the burning quality. When the chemical and sugar were rammed together a loud explosion occurred. Di\ Inglis said he had not analysed similar lozenges, but ■he thought they would be almost pure chlorate. The lad had apparently gained some knowledge of the explosive powers of the chemical and sugar combination, but it was impossible to say what was the ultimate expectation of his tests. The accident should be taken as a warning to parents to prevent their children undertaking dangerous experiments.