CARELESS DISPENSING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4985, 9 June 1926, Page 3

CARELESS DISPENSING.

FATAL POISONING MISTAKES. FAKIR’S “LOVE PHILTRE,” Amazing instances of human poisoning are contained in the annual report of the Chemical Examiner’s Department, Bengal, just issued. Under the heading “Poisoning due to careless dispensing,” reference is made to the death of a Hindu male child aged about a; year. The child was given half an ounce of castor oil from a phial labelled “Castor Oil" dispensed by a local druggist; it became uneasy soon alfter the administration, and died within nji hour Of admission to the Campbell Hospital. Aconite was subsequently detected in the child. The phial labelled “Castor Oil” was analysed, when tincture of aconite, and pot castor oil, was found. The Deputy Magistrate of Howrah forwarded two paper packets, each containing a quantity of bark, with the. history that the bark contained in one of the paper packets was sold to the investigating officer by a shopkeeper as Karchi bark (Holarrhena Anti-dysenterica bark). The bark in the other paper packet was bought by a person from the same shop for the treatment df dysentery, but after taking a. decoction of the bark he suffered from severe symptoms of strychnine poisoning, from which, however, he recovered. The barks in both of the paper packets were found on analysis to be Nux Vomica bark. The substitution of “nux vomica” bark for Karchi. bark, adds the report, is not uncommon in Bengal in “banias’ ” shops.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Calcutta, forwarded a sample of a po,wder which was supposed to be prescribed by a, doctor for asthma. It is said that soon after taking a small quantity of the powder the. patient complained of a burning sensation in the stomach. He recovered, however, after treatment. The powder on analysis was found to contajn aconite. A man, said to ha,ve been overwhelmed with grief at the sudden death of his sons by accidental burns, took with liquor “rat-out poison.” He died soon after admission to'hospital, and yellow' phosphorous was detected. The report adds : Cases of poisoning by aconite from drinking “pachwai” sophisticated with aconite are referred to this department every yea;r from the. localities where “pachwai" drinking is in vogue. It is to be regretted that such poisonings occur from the liquor manufactured and sold by vendors, who probably mix the poison to increase the intoxicating property of the liquor. The Assistant Surgeon" of Patuakhali (Bakarganj) reported the death of a ma.n whose wife was given medicine by a., fakir with instructions to give it to him “to correct his temper and to make him love her.” After taking the. medicine the husband vomited several times and died. Aconite was detected.