BACTERIAL POISONING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3777, 21 November 1907, Page 3

BACTERIAL POISONING.

A Youth’s Death. At the inquest held at Dunedin on the body of Herman Louis Sachtler, 19 years of age, evidence was given that deceased, with six other lads went camping at Purakanui, on the nth inst. The campers had two tins of salmon for breakfast, and the same in the evening. They returned to town on Wednesday evening. Deceased complained of abdominal cramp, and seemed to be suffering from bacterial poisoning. On Friday he was suffering from incessant vomiting, severe abdominal pains, cramp, diarrhoea, cold sweats, anuria, and collapse, and he died on Saturday morning. Fifty hours elapsed between the taking of the fish and the symptoms of bacterial intestinal infection.

D r Roberts, who made the postmortem examination, said there was only a remote possibility of connection between taking the tinned fish and the cause of death, as the intervening period was too long. Death was due to bacterial intestinal infection, but it was difficult to assign the cause. Dr Falconer, hospital surgeon, said cases had been recorded where 43 hours had elapsed before symptoms had appeared, but he did not know of a longer period. A verdict was given of death from bacterial poisoning, there being insufficient evidence to show the cause ©f th© poisoning.