OVERDOSE OF STRYCHNINE.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 December 1916, Page 2

OVERDOSE OF STRYCHNINE.

FATAL MISTAKE IN A HOSPITAL . By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, Dee. IS. As a result of ail error made by Sister Ruth Ford at Christchurch Hospital, yesterday 1n administering a dose of strychnine to a patient. James M'Ewan, a single man, aged 30, and lately a steward on the steamer Moeraki, met his death. There were two solutions or the drug kept in separate "bottle, one being a .concentrated fcolujtion nnd the other dilute. The dose of the concentrated solution is about 25 minims, and that of the dilute half an ounce. By an unfortunate error the larger dose of the strychnine solution was administerod. with fatal results. Deceased had no

relatives in New Zealand. His parents !:ve at. Dcansgate. Manchester, England. At an inqu"st held to-day. the' Coroner (Mr H. W Kishopl asked Dr. Scott, Medical Superintendent cf the Hosnital, if he could account for the extraordinary accident.

Dr. Scott replied that he could not. except, as Sister Ford says, one bottle was standing in the place of the other one. She should have noticed. She is a sister who took a tremendous lot of trouble with her patients. The Coroner: 'lf it is possible for a nurse under those conditions to make a mistake of Ahnt sort you have to be very careful, that is all I can say. It is a most unfortunate thing for the Hospital, unfortunate for the sister, and still more unfortunate for the patient. These tilings do occur sometimes in an extraordinary, unaccountable way. I have the evidence of Dr. Scott, that he regards this sister as a very careful, experienced, and capable nurse, and yet she makes an inexplicable mistake of this sort. I cannot do other than find that deceased died from an overdose of strychnine administered in error by one Ruth Ford, sister in charge of Ward 4 at the Hospital. That is all I can do. I cannot find anything eisc. lam very sorry indeed that it has occurred."