POISONOUS TABLETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 268, 2 February 1928, Page 18

POISONOUS TABLETS

DEATH OF AN INFANT ANALYSTS REPORT (Special to THE BUN.J WANGANUI, Wednesday. There recently died at Dr. Duncan’s surgery at Waverley a child named Ailsa Bremner, who had eaten a portion of a “Meta” lighting tablet at Hawera on the previous day, and who appeared to get well and then later suffered convulsions, and lapsed into unconsciousness. The report of the Government analyst showed the portion of the .Meta” tablet examined was metaldehyde (metacetaldehyde). Tests were made for formoldehyde, but none could ho detected. The tablets are sold in packets labelled “Meta, the ideal solid fuel. Made in Switzerland. Must not be eaten.” The manufacture of this preparation for fuel is of comparative recent date tubout 1920) and little reference to its toxic properties could be found in the books at the disposal of the analyst. Fortunately, however, a case of poisoning by this substance is described in an article in the “Analyst” of September, 1927„ and from this it is evident that the preparation is very poisonous and in view of the grave danger to children the analyst said he intended to bring the matter under the notice of the Director-General of Health, with the object of having the poisonous nature of “Meta” tablets more clearly indicated on the packets.