INQUEST AT CARTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2099, 19 September 1885, Page 2

INQUEST AT CARTERTON.

An inquest was held at Carterton yesterday, before Dr Spratt, Coroner, and a jury of twelve, touching the death of Geo. Greathead. Mr E. Anderson was chosen foreman. After being duly sworn by the Coroner, the jury proceeded to view the body at the residence of the deceased's son, just opposite the Royal Oak Hotel, Carterton. The first witness called was Mary Greathead, daughter-in-law of the deceased, who deposed that she rubbed the back of the deceased with some liniment for rheumatics on the afternoon of Thursday, the 17 th inst. The deceased had not been out of his house for a month previous to yesterday, and Dr Smith has been in regular attendance on him till the last three weeks. The last time Dr Smith saw the deceased was on the sth inst. when he said that he did not think it worth while to call again unless sent for. He gave the prescription for the liniment and a bottle of medicine, which was procured from Mr St, Ceorge, of Greytown. On the 17th inst., she took him to his bed as usual about 9 o'clock, and bathed and rubbed his back with the liniment, and placed tho liniment on the dressing table by his bedside.. There were two other bottles on the table, one wtih hop bitters and the other rum.' The bottle which held the rum was one which he had used for medicine. Tho deceased used to take a drop of rum every night with the hop bitters. (The bottles were produced, and were exactly alike in sliapo and size.)" Witness had not been away many minutes when the deceased called to her to come to him, and when she went in she asked him what was the matter. He said: "Ihave taken the wrong bottle, mid mixed some liniment with the bop bjfctfirs and drank it in a mistake." He asked her to get some warm water and salt to make him vomit, but it would not make him vomit; and then she tried mustard and warm water, which was also of no use. , Her husband then rode up to Dr Smith's, and he sent a powder to make the deceased vomit, and ordered castor oil to be given if the powder had no effect. Neither the powder nor the oil had' any effect. About half an hour after she gave him tho powder she again sent for the doctor, when ho came and brought some more powders and gave him, which thedeceased vomited again. Deceased complained about his throat feeling as if ho qould not swaHow.' Tbo doctor recommended a poultice placed on his throat, which was done. After applying feathers to his throat to induce vomiting, tho deceased died in about five minutes. This occurred about 11 o'clock p.m. He was quite sensible to the'last. His age was 72 years. Dr Smith deposed that he was a surgeon residing in Carterton, He had been attending the deceased for some time at intervals and saw him four times during the last three weiks. T]s lagt time he was much better, and ho told witness that if he wanted liini again he would send for him, Witness had been attending him for heart disease, dropsy, and lumbago, and he was in a very indifferent state of health generally. He was taking a mixture, and used a liniment. The liniment was composed of 3ozs of soap liniment, 3 ozs of camphor, and 2 of belladonna, and the word pm'soh was put on the bottle. He was called to see deceased somp time after lie had sent him the qnjetjo, and after collecting a fe\y things whjch he thought would be useful, went and saw him. He could not detect any symptoms of poisoning, and no signs of immediate alarm. He found that bo had not vomited, antj tben gave him another emetic, which liad the desired effect. He also pushed a feather down hi? throat to try to induce vomiting. He found that deceased had not taken more than a tablespoonful of the. liniment and, hop bitters_ combined, Hq still complained of his throat, and witness recommended.a poultice, and the throat to be moistened with salad oil with a feathor, Mr Hodgins was there, and asked witness to go with him ovor to his residence, but they had barely got inside, when he was summoned back to the house of the deceased, who died in a few minutes. There were no symptoms of poisoning from belladonna. He thought the cause of death was the severe fright combined with a weak state of '

This being all the evidence, the Corner explained to the )i\\y their duty, and they rotired for fthnqt half an hour, when they.gave a verdiofc that the late George Greathead died through a severe fright, caused by thinking that he had poisoned himself , by taking the liniment mixed with hop bitters in the place of ruin, and that there was no blame attached to anyone.