The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-04-18 00:00:00

"DEATH FROM NATURAL OAUBEB."

To the Editor.

liiir.-0a• has to rub 000'd eyes omesionally and
think again over tits meaning of weds, or bow onsiom
sways human Commis. I read in th Dared County
Express and the Mierbonse Journal th t a man in Bell-
street, Dorchester, who had a weak heart, takes • dose
of gin and peppenniot, quickly falls on the fender,
and is found dead. K J. Day, • domor whets
to be warmly oommended for truth-telling in spite of
Lb. astounding inflames of the drink traftlo, and whose
skill in what he attempts I personally kaow,says—" As
fats. I could judge, death appeared to have resulted
from • weak heart, aceslarated by his having taken
raw spirits." And thejery return • verdict of Death
from Natural Oeuses" I I I know not the names of
Lb. Dorchester jury; only noting that the foreman
wean to have been the landlord of the Phenix ; but
when • doge of spirits, given to • man with • weak
heart, is held to be a natural muse of death, I wonder
what tithe true zooming of the word "natural." Raw
spirits at all event, are not found in nature, whatever
quibbling there may be about tiny trams of alcohol, and
epuita were unsuited to the man's nature, as proved by his
cleatb. Of course, the poor young womb-a who gave
the spi its ought not to be reflected on, and I do not
do so in the least, for the generality of people are too
ill-educated as to the hurtful qualities of spirits, ad
probably the deceased 'tinsel' wished for the dose, and
she gave it in ignoraneh. But that a ma, of 42 should
be killed suddenly, and • wife and fire children be left,
through • doss of spirits, 1100014 to me horribly
armature!. We had a ram who drank spirits at a
pub., and died on the spot; we had • woman who saw
strong drinks for • gentleman's feast, went home,
drank herself into delirium feerams, and died, leaving •
poor child she had kindly adopted, for she um • good
woman when not under the drink craving; • young
man died from the results of (MCA., and left wife at
children; another drank to ex ;en frequently, and all
at onoe he mai found to beep died staideoly, leavlog
wife and children ; yet, in spite of rumour, not even an
Inquest was he'd on one of them last three, because,
forsooth, either doctors have power ti over each
dreedfd warning, by certificates, or circumstances are
so represented to coroners that they feel no necessity
for enquiry. When a brewer falls from his bores, is
taken Into • stable, and dies, care is taken to produce
evidence that no one saw him take more than
me, or that he had more than two glasses of
grog, and therefore was sober; yet few think
bow rut and widmpreed muot be the evil inilmace
of drinking immoderately, in that it seemed
natural to cooclude he was drunk, and the suspicion
met his life, It becomes matter for enquiry whether
—became death, shocking, rapid, even sudden. from
strong drinks is so c ommon--" Is the e,171010111
Intoxicating drink out of which • few great foitones
are made to be therefore coosidered • " natural cause
of desthr It so, the Palmeri and the Lamson' need
' net troubls about strychnia and monitine' for • poison
Is reedy to their hands, more usable, because It ids
pleasant and commonly used, and hemlines its speed
' may generally be regulated according to its strength,
and at last, either no inquest will be held, or they
; may reckon on • verdict of "Death from Natural
Clauses." The Oases I mention are not gathered from
; • distance • they all °marred within 20 miles .1 Dor-
i Mester, al ere but • smell proportion of those which
have sow.to my knowledge, Yet moderate drinkers
I —(I mean those who only seek moderate pleasure
I in drink, ommonly called " Wet otalars")—who are
oho dud and fired at them horrors, are celled
I " fanatic.,' even by s ins physicians ; and moderation
E in drinkb;g,—which is the giving up of immoderate
flavours and excitement in drinks—is called' heresy"
E by gentlemen bra-lug the name of minister/. To say
I nothing of righteous anger, is not our Judi/nation
PiATUIAL
• Newt, April 13, 1881

WHYMOHTII.
ENTIBTLINKIIIIT LT 'EI Ullolll.—An Eater enter-
tainment was given on Thursday evening Nat to the
Inmates of the Weymouth Union, whsu beautiful pa
flowers for the platform were kindly lent by Mr. W.
Symonds, J.P., militia( of magnifio int white and
✓omrist males, Plimiume, and other chola pleats.
A piano was very kindly lent, and Messrs.
Biskop and Stanton decorated and erected the
pLffortn. The following progrsams was ably gone
through " Kiss Boyne ;
duet Autumn Snag," Rev. and Mrs. Shottlewt rth ;
gong, "Th Goldee Shore," Miss 'Nun) eon,.
" Bridgett's Reeky." Mks WaUs Pianolort• trio, "II
Teamed'," The Misses Thialton ; soog, " Just Before
Lb. Battle, Mother„_" Its,. W. Shattleworth ;
" Nanny Lee: KW Wade Browns; humorous resting,
"Handy Andy's Little Mistakes," Mr. W. id.
Thiasitoa ; dust. "The Carnival of Vsoics," The
mina Nano; wag, "No, Sir; KW &y°.; too&