VERONAL MENACE

Hokitika Guardian, 6 April 1932, Page 2

VERONAL MENACE

'RESTRICTION OF SALES

SECRET ADDICT’S SAD END

($y Telegraph —Per Preis Aitociatiom

AUCKLAND, April 5.

A. recommendation that veronal should be placed on the official list of poisons, and should not be sold by chemists without authority, "'as made by Mr F, K. Hunt, S.M., Coroner, at the adjourned inquest concerning the death of Mrs Ethel Florence Hyde, of Avondale. The deceased died at the .Auckland Hospital on February 3, from the effects of poisoning. Dr Dreadon said that lie had attended the deceased during the past two years, but, until recently, it "'as lloij known that she had been taking vieronall. An overdose of this drug was responsible for her death. (Replying to the Coroner, Dr Dreadon said chemists were permitted to use (their discretion in selling veronal. There had been a number of cases of veronal-poisoning, and he was of the ..-pinion that the drug should not be so easily obtained by the members of the

public. /Mr Griffin, Government Analyst, in Auckland, said that, judging from the analysis which he had made, the deceased must have taken large quantities of veronal for a long period. “I would 'like to mention that tin? large number of eases of veronal po>* soning. in England, led to that drug being placed on the first schedule of Poisons' fa 1918,” added Mr Griffin. *Tn England it can now be sold only ! by registered pharmacists, and a record of each sale must be kept. There is, apparently, no restriction on the sale of veronal in New Zealand. Many people think that veronal tabloids arc on a par with aspirin. It should be gold only to people who realise what they-are taking.” “This poor woman was apparently addicted to drugs and on this occasion, she took an overdose. I do think that she intended to commit suicide,” said j the Coroner in returning a verdict of accidental death. He added that he would write to the and recommend that veronal should be placed on the official list of poisons