A VICTIM OF DRUGS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1925, Page 1

A VICTIM OF DRUGS

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS association.] AUCKLAND, Nov. 26. The necessity for regulating the sale of veronal tablets was referred to today at an inquest concerning the death of John Majoribanks Steele, aged 58. who died on November 14tli. from an overdose of the drug.

Harriet Steele, widow of deceased, said her husband had been practically as invalid for some months. He served through the South African war, in which he suffered severe injuries. For many years he had been addicted to drugs. and lately bo had been very careless in taking veronal for insomnia. On Thursday, Nov. 12th. lie retired to bed remarking that ho expected to sleep soundly. On Friday he did not wake, and witness communicated with the doctor. After making several efforts to rouse deceased, she decided to lot him sleep. She became alstrmed on Saturday morning, when she found him still in a. torpor, and. noting on tho advice of a doctor, in reply to another telephone message, she liad deceased removed to the hospital at about 0 n.m. She had occasionally taken drugs from his pockets, and on ibis Saturday she found a bottle containing a few veronal tablets.

Dr F. E. Webster said deceased died two hours‘after admission to the hospital. He had been treated about three weeks before for an overdose of veronal.

The Coroner: Where do these drugs come from ?

Witness: I understand they ran be bought from any chemist.

The Coroner: Then we had better get, that stopped. It is a very dangerous thing to he taken without a doctor’s supervision.

Dr W. IT. Petit said he had attended the deceased for the last six months for excessive drug taking. Ho knew of no restriction on the sale of veronal tablets, but considered some control was essential. There would have been little hope of saving deceased’s life •unless he could have been treated within two hours of taking the overdose. The Coroner: I think T will write to the authorities and draw attention ■to the handling of this narcotic. A verdict was returned that death as due to an overdose oT veronal, accidentally taken.