Poisoned By Choloral.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1785, 20 January 1886, Page 2

Poisoned By Choloral.

Another case of poisoning from iiydrate of chloral has taken place—this time at Christchurch. A Government clerk, named John .Smith Leggu, took 10 investing in Racing Kwueps, became financially embairased, and -'-.liau knot of his difficulties by cut mo gu. _ l 'l,niol£ with an overJeiiberately poisoning - . A , dose of chloral. In most cases 0. .. ,uu llyul

chloral the overdose is asserted to have bean taken through carelessness and without premeditation. We ate ratiici. doubtful on that point. People who hahitically take hydrate of chloral iu order to procure sloop, alter a time get into a dreadful condition of nervous depression and misery audemnot sleep with the usual dose. In that case the temptation to increase the dose becomes almost irresistible. The sufferer may know that if he takes the increased dose, he does so at the risk of going to sleep and waking no more _ in this world, but his suffering from insomnia is so great that be takes the extra dose and chances the alternative of sleep or death. That very often is the real reason why chloral drinkers ate sometimes found dead in bed in the morning. Hydrate of chloral is a most valuable medical agent; but it ought never on aoy account to be taken save on the prescriptions of a qualified medical praotkmer. As the case at present staudo, u dose pf chloral can be got from any chemist- Doubtless llie chemist will take care only to make up such a mild dole as could not prove poisonous. • The person, however, who desiies to. get au overdose of chloral has only to make a siries of separata purchases of it, at different chemists’ shops, in every large pity. this is how John s{ei(U |o{ enough of chloral to kill 1

him cl pad. But after all, no sort of pre' cau’ioua will prevent people, beut neon the dc ‘from committing suicide. If they can’t manage it in one way, they certainly will in another.