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SUSPECTED POISONING BY ARSENIC IN BEER AT HALIFAX.
466
THE
UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT ON HIS OWN ACCOUNT.
from mental delusion to motor reaction was organically arsenical beer-poisoning. The cause of death was croupous complete. Such stereotyped acts were present in cases of pneumonia. While under treatment Lee eliminated arsenic dementia prsecox, catatonia, dementia secondary to the daily. He also had old pleurisy and morbus cordis. Dr. maniacal-melancholic group of insanities, paranoia, d6lire Hodgson confirmed Mr. Woodyatt’s statements as to the .de nigation, and secondary mental enfeeblement generally, arsenical poisoning symptoms. He did not agree that and hence they might also be observed in the early and Lee died from croupous pneumonia ; the primary cause middle stages of general paralysis. The insanity of obsessions of the man’s death was arsenical poisoning. The condition (morbid doubts and fears) might also provoke characteristic of the lungs was secondary to the condition of the heart. attitudes of passion, doubt, religiosity, and fear which from The coroner pointed out that everyone agreed that Lee recurrence might become fixed and stereotyped. Dr. Cahen did suffer from arsenical poisoning. As to where he got out that it is sometimes to difficult points distinguish the his arsenic from that was rather a matter for the sanitary stereotyped attitudes and actions of the insane from those authorities than for them. The jury returned a unanimous which occur in hystero-epilepsy and hysteria major, but that verdict of Death from pneumonia accelerated by arsenical such phenomena were of bad prognosis as being indicative poisoning." The coroner said, after the verdict had been given, of a permanent degree of mental enfeeblement-that is to that a gentleman had called on him and had told him how to say, of chronicity and incurability as regards the mental conduct the inquiry. He, the coroner, would not mention his life. The prognosis, however, as regards bodily life need not name, but he was connected with the brewery interest. As far as we can judge from the evidence given there would seem to be, and often was not, grave. be no doubt about the arsenic having a large share in the death of Lee. But a man who had old pleuritic THE UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT ON HIS OWN adhesions, morbus cordis, bronchitis or pneumonia, or both, ACCOUNT. and who was in addition a confirmed drinker, carried THE unqualified assistant of the medical practitioner is about with him a "body of death" quite enough to now limited in his duties by the General Medical Council. him in a variety of ways. There need not be How great a source of danger to the public he is when he kill so much arsenic taken to set up severe symptoms, if it be begins to consider himself competent to do a little in the taken in an organic form, or when associated with other way of unqualified practice on his own account we all or after it has been exposed to some process of things, know. A good example of this kind of unqualified practice fermentation. Arsenic, as is well known, was a favourite was brought to light the other day by an inquest at in mediaeval times, and it was said to be far ;Hackney. The deceased had been attended for 18 months poison more efficacious if prepared by first administering it in a by a person whom her husband knew as " Dr." Edwards, but dose to a pig or some animal. The body was ’who apparently had been dispenser to one or two medical fatal then allowed to putrefy and the arsenical fluids distilled or men practicing in the district. Edwards seems to have begun otherwise extracted from the putrid mass were found to be of by treating the family of his lodging-house keeper for small great potency. We are repeating the teachings of medi2eval ailments, and, being recommended by them or others, to have practice without guaranteeing their accuracy. But, possibly, ,come to treat the deceased woman as to whose death the the fermented compounds of arsenic nowadays may be far inquiry was held. He was paid for his attendance upon her ; more virulent than any simple salt of the metal. It is a bottle was produced which was said to have contained difficult to see how arsenic could get into rum or whisky, medicine prescribed by him, but which bore no label or two of Lee’s favourite beverages, but in ale there are two directions. The husband had no knowledge that Edwards possible sources-namely, invert i-ugar and malt. If brewing - was not a fully qualified practitioner. Evidence was sugars are, since the Manchester epidemic of arsenical given that the patient died from syncope due to fatty poisoning, generally pure we suppose the guilty substance degeneration of the heart, and a verdict of "Death from must be the malt. We have taken our notes of the inquest ’natural causeswas returned, accompanied by a rider from the Halifax Courier of Feb. 8th, which gives a full censuring Edwards. Edwards, it would seem, is not in any report, and is to be congratulated upon having done so. ’way amenable to the law, for the law does not forbid unqualified practice. When a patient dies under the care THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. of an unqualified person, and the affair becomes known, because the unqualified person cannot give a certificate, the ANY day now may see the appearance of the new public awake to the danger. But in a very short time Royal Warrant for the Royal Army Medical Corps ; mean’vigilance relapses and the unqualified practitioner continues while a good deal of natural curiosity exists to know his dangerous career. whether the warrant will fulfil all the reasonable expectations that have been raised in regard to it. Apart from all ’ SUSPECTED POISONING BY ARSENIC IN BEER the questions that have arisen and have been keenly AT HALIFAX. discussed in connexion with the report of Mr. Brodrick’s IN our issue of Feb. 8th (p. 385) we referred in a leading Committee there are several matters calling for settlement ..article to an inquest held upon the body of an old man on the part of the authorities. Professor T. Clifford Allbutt who died from cardiac failure and bronchitis. There is, of has very pointedly called attention to the unscientific, or even anti-scientific, tone of the service as one of its evils course, nothing remarkable about these two causes of death, but on his admission to the Halifax Workhouse Hospital and as exercising a deterrent effect on medical candidates the patient showed marked symptoms of arsenical poisoning of a superior class ; and he illustrates this by quoting the such as were observed during the recent outbreak at experience of a medical officer as to the deficiencies Manchester. Dr. J. F. Hodgson, the resident medical officer, that exist in the supply of scientific, medical, and ’therefore reported the case so that an inquest might be held. surgical appliances, and the lack of any sympathetic On Feb. 7th another inquest was held by Mr. E. H. Hills and appreciative spirit on the part of many of the ’upon the body of a man named Thomas Lee, aged 54 years, senior medical officers of the service in encouraging their who died on Feb. 5th in the Halifax Workhouse Hospital. juniors to prosecute scientific researches and to keep abreast Evidence was -given that Lee during life was a heavy drinker. with the results of professional progress. How far these ’He would drink rum, whiskey, ale, or anything."Mr. J. F. allegations are well founded at the present time we have not Woodyatt, visiting physician to the hospital, gave evidence the means of knowing. The system of promotion by selec"that Lee on admission presented .all the symptoms of so-called tion for the higher ranks, if honestly and properly carried -
THE
UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT ON HIS OWN ACCOUNT.
from mental delusion to motor reaction was organically arsenical beer-poisoning. The cause of death was croupous complete. Such stereotyped acts were present in cases of pneumonia. While under treatment Lee eliminated arsenic dementia prsecox, catatonia, dementia secondary to the daily. He also had old pleurisy and morbus cordis. Dr. maniacal-melancholic group of insanities, paranoia, d6lire Hodgson confirmed Mr. Woodyatt’s statements as to the .de nigation, and secondary mental enfeeblement generally, arsenical poisoning symptoms. He did not agree that and hence they might also be observed in the early and Lee died from croupous pneumonia ; the primary cause middle stages of general paralysis. The insanity of obsessions of the man’s death was arsenical poisoning. The condition (morbid doubts and fears) might also provoke characteristic of the lungs was secondary to the condition of the heart. attitudes of passion, doubt, religiosity, and fear which from The coroner pointed out that everyone agreed that Lee recurrence might become fixed and stereotyped. Dr. Cahen did suffer from arsenical poisoning. As to where he got out that it is sometimes to difficult points distinguish the his arsenic from that was rather a matter for the sanitary stereotyped attitudes and actions of the insane from those authorities than for them. The jury returned a unanimous which occur in hystero-epilepsy and hysteria major, but that verdict of Death from pneumonia accelerated by arsenical such phenomena were of bad prognosis as being indicative poisoning." The coroner said, after the verdict had been given, of a permanent degree of mental enfeeblement-that is to that a gentleman had called on him and had told him how to say, of chronicity and incurability as regards the mental conduct the inquiry. He, the coroner, would not mention his life. The prognosis, however, as regards bodily life need not name, but he was connected with the brewery interest. As far as we can judge from the evidence given there would seem to be, and often was not, grave. be no doubt about the arsenic having a large share in the death of Lee. But a man who had old pleuritic THE UNQUALIFIED ASSISTANT ON HIS OWN adhesions, morbus cordis, bronchitis or pneumonia, or both, ACCOUNT. and who was in addition a confirmed drinker, carried THE unqualified assistant of the medical practitioner is about with him a "body of death" quite enough to now limited in his duties by the General Medical Council. him in a variety of ways. There need not be How great a source of danger to the public he is when he kill so much arsenic taken to set up severe symptoms, if it be begins to consider himself competent to do a little in the taken in an organic form, or when associated with other way of unqualified practice on his own account we all or after it has been exposed to some process of things, know. A good example of this kind of unqualified practice fermentation. Arsenic, as is well known, was a favourite was brought to light the other day by an inquest at in mediaeval times, and it was said to be far ;Hackney. The deceased had been attended for 18 months poison more efficacious if prepared by first administering it in a by a person whom her husband knew as " Dr." Edwards, but dose to a pig or some animal. The body was ’who apparently had been dispenser to one or two medical fatal then allowed to putrefy and the arsenical fluids distilled or men practicing in the district. Edwards seems to have begun otherwise extracted from the putrid mass were found to be of by treating the family of his lodging-house keeper for small great potency. We are repeating the teachings of medi2eval ailments, and, being recommended by them or others, to have practice without guaranteeing their accuracy. But, possibly, ,come to treat the deceased woman as to whose death the the fermented compounds of arsenic nowadays may be far inquiry was held. He was paid for his attendance upon her ; more virulent than any simple salt of the metal. It is a bottle was produced which was said to have contained difficult to see how arsenic could get into rum or whisky, medicine prescribed by him, but which bore no label or two of Lee’s favourite beverages, but in ale there are two directions. The husband had no knowledge that Edwards possible sources-namely, invert i-ugar and malt. If brewing - was not a fully qualified practitioner. Evidence was sugars are, since the Manchester epidemic of arsenical given that the patient died from syncope due to fatty poisoning, generally pure we suppose the guilty substance degeneration of the heart, and a verdict of "Death from must be the malt. We have taken our notes of the inquest ’natural causeswas returned, accompanied by a rider from the Halifax Courier of Feb. 8th, which gives a full censuring Edwards. Edwards, it would seem, is not in any report, and is to be congratulated upon having done so. ’way amenable to the law, for the law does not forbid unqualified practice. When a patient dies under the care THE ARMY MEDICAL SERVICE. of an unqualified person, and the affair becomes known, because the unqualified person cannot give a certificate, the ANY day now may see the appearance of the new public awake to the danger. But in a very short time Royal Warrant for the Royal Army Medical Corps ; mean’vigilance relapses and the unqualified practitioner continues while a good deal of natural curiosity exists to know his dangerous career. whether the warrant will fulfil all the reasonable expectations that have been raised in regard to it. Apart from all ’ SUSPECTED POISONING BY ARSENIC IN BEER the questions that have arisen and have been keenly AT HALIFAX. discussed in connexion with the report of Mr. Brodrick’s IN our issue of Feb. 8th (p. 385) we referred in a leading Committee there are several matters calling for settlement ..article to an inquest held upon the body of an old man on the part of the authorities. Professor T. Clifford Allbutt who died from cardiac failure and bronchitis. There is, of has very pointedly called attention to the unscientific, or even anti-scientific, tone of the service as one of its evils course, nothing remarkable about these two causes of death, but on his admission to the Halifax Workhouse Hospital and as exercising a deterrent effect on medical candidates the patient showed marked symptoms of arsenical poisoning of a superior class ; and he illustrates this by quoting the such as were observed during the recent outbreak at experience of a medical officer as to the deficiencies Manchester. Dr. J. F. Hodgson, the resident medical officer, that exist in the supply of scientific, medical, and ’therefore reported the case so that an inquest might be held. surgical appliances, and the lack of any sympathetic On Feb. 7th another inquest was held by Mr. E. H. Hills and appreciative spirit on the part of many of the ’upon the body of a man named Thomas Lee, aged 54 years, senior medical officers of the service in encouraging their who died on Feb. 5th in the Halifax Workhouse Hospital. juniors to prosecute scientific researches and to keep abreast Evidence was -given that Lee during life was a heavy drinker. with the results of professional progress. How far these ’He would drink rum, whiskey, ale, or anything."Mr. J. F. allegations are well founded at the present time we have not Woodyatt, visiting physician to the hospital, gave evidence the means of knowing. The system of promotion by selec"that Lee on admission presented .all the symptoms of so-called tion for the higher ranks, if honestly and properly carried -