Did Mrs Munn Die As Result Of Poisoning?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19035, 2 April 1930, Page 16

Did Mrs Munn Die As Result Of Poisoning?

DOCTOR DESCRIBES HOW HE SENT FLUID TO ANALYST FOR TEST

(Special to the “ Star.")

Sensational evidence - of the charge of murder ag Dr Reginald George Dudding, of Northcote, said he had known Mrs Munn for three or four had attended her about sixteen months prior to the illness which led to her death. He was called to see Mrs Munn on the morning of February 4. The message left was to the effect that Mrs Munn had had a seizure, which it was thought might be a stroke. Munn met him at the house. Witness went straight to the room where Mrs Munn was lying in bed. lie asked several questions re-

garding Mrs Munn’s illness, and Munn said she had been shaking all over, and had had some sort of convulsive seizure, lie was also told that Mrs Munn had had some headaches, and had been taking aspirins for them, but there had been no sickness.

In the description of the convulsive attack was any reference made to holding on to a chair? —None at all.

Was any- reference made to any previous similar attack?—l was told there had none. Who told you?—Munn. Witness said that he examined the heart and nervous system and took the blood pressure. He found the blood pressure to be abnormally high, being 220 m.m. Witness assumed from that that Mrs Munn was suffering from the effect of blood pressure, and might have been on the verge of a stroke. He* deemed it expedient to bleed her, and he took off half a pint of blood, which Munn tipped out. Witness prescribed a sedative mixture. He ordered one teaspoonful of Epsom salts to be given every morning. He also indicated diet.

Witness next saw Mrs Munn on February 6. Mrs Munn seemed very comfortable, and witness was not very

concerned about her condition, as he had not expected much improvement in that time, assuming his original diagnosis was accurate. Munn called on witness on February 8, and said Ihe mixture was finished. lie added that his wife’s condition was much the same. Witness told Munn to repeat the medicine, and said he would call at a later date. Witness called on the morning of February 10. Mrs Munn appeared quite comfortable, and was joking about having to stay in bed. After they had left the room, Munn said his wife had been very’ nervy, and that the noise of the children running about seemed to get on her nerves. Witness took Mrs Munn’s pressure again, and it was still high. There was really no nursing treatment required, as witness saw the case, and Munn seemed quite capable of looking after his wife. A CONVULSION. About 9.10 a.m. on February 11 Mrs Gill, a neighbour of Munn’s, arrived at witness’s residence with a message from Munn stating that Mrs Munn had had another bad turn. Mrs Munn was lying on the bed. Her clothing was disarranged and wet. and the bed was also wet. Apparently the wetness had been caused by Munn in applying cold water cloths to the heart. Airs Munn seemed hysterical, and kept calling out that she did not want to be touched. After she had been shifted in bed, Mrs Munn began to shake. First of all it was just trembling over the whole body, but by- holding the arms gently he was able to restrain the movements there. He thought the patient was hysterical. Shortly’ after the con-

ALUh-LAA IF, April I. was given at the hearing to-day ;ainst Arthur Thomas Munn. dition changed, and the body became arched. Mrs Munn was conscious and moaning. Her jaws closed. Then she complained of thirst. During the attack she resented very strongly being touched. Immediately’ witness perceived the nature of the attack, and he administered a quarter of a grain of morphia hy r podermically. The convulsion seemed to quieten down after about four minutes. Witness asked Munn if this convulsion was similar to the one his wife had had before, to which Munn said "Yes.” The convulsion, witness said, was not consistent with blood pressure. The sy’mptoms were usually associated with strychnine poisoning if the attack came on suddenly'. SUSPICIONS AROUSED. Witness then became highly suspicious, but he did not mention his suspicion to Munn or to the patient. Munn again called about 11 a.m. that day’. He said Mrs Munn’s breathing seemed to have stopped, and he could not feel her pulse. Witness went immediately to the house and found Mrs Munn dead. Witness was very much more confirmed then in the diagnosis he had made on the earlier visit. Witness looked round to see if there was strychnine or anything that might be strychnine about the room. There was a little fluid in a cup, about a quarter full, standing on a table. Witness put some of the fluid into a container. He tasted the fluid in the cup by’ placing his little finger in the fluid and placing it to the tip of his tongue. It was bitter, and it was then that witness took a sample of it. Fie then left the residence and went to a chemist’s dispensary at Northcote. Witness asked the chemist to show’ his poisons register, which was produced. There was an entry to the effect that Munn had purchased a dram of strychnine. Mr Meredith produced the register, which showed the date as November 20. TESTED FOR STRYCHNINE. While at the chemist’s witness tested the specimen for strychnine. The first test did not give the reaction for strychnine. A different test also gave no reaction for strychnine. A test with the remainder of the solution was carried out. but witness could not satisfy himself that the result gave a positive reaction for strychnine, as he was not skilled in those matters. Dr Dudding said he then decided to get specimens for further analysis by a competent person. He went back to Munn’s residence, taking with him four bottles which he procured from the chemist. Witness examined the body’. Fie secured the samples he wanted, and took the fluid from the cup which he had tasted on a previous occasion. He also took some water and some colourless liquid out of a jug. Witness obtained the chemist’s boy as a messenger to- deliver the samples to Mr Parker, an analyst. The report from the analyst was received next day, and as a result of that report Mr Parker reported the matter to the police. Mr Meredith: As a result of what you had seen in the end, what in your opinion was the cause of death? Witness: Strychnine poisoning. One or several doses?—Several doses. More than one. In reply to Mr Northcroft, Dr Dunning named the ingredients in the mixture he had prescribed for Mrs Munn The Court then adjourned.