PERILS OF EAU DE COLOGNE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 18, 16 October 1917, Page 5

PERILS OF EAU DE COLOGNE

A FATAL EXPLOSION. A verdict of accidental death was returned at the adjourned inquest at Islington on Plorence . Elizabeth Miller, aged 39, a domestic servant in tho employ of Mrs. Hall, a merchant's wife, of Southwood, Lawn Road, Highgate. Inorder to loosen the stopper deceased placed a bottle of Eau de Cologne in tho oven. When she opened the door the bottla exploded, igniting her clothing. Mr. J. H. Coote, chemist to the London County Council, stated tliat the Eau de Cologno was now made up essentially of strong alcohol and various essential oils or other aromatic ; ngredients. Originally it was distilled from floivers and orange-peel. Although lio would "not sav that it was of an explosive nature, it would contain 6o much alcohol as to be highly inflammable.. It was highly dangerous to put a bottle, even if it conrained only water into an oven,, for the heat was likely to make it explode. Illustrating how inflammable Eau do Cologne is, Mr. Coote poured some on to the court table, and put a lighted match to it, with the result tliat it easilv burned. The coroner remarked that it. was the first case of . the kind he had had in it) years.