The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-30 00:00:00

DEATH FROM CHLOROFO.R3L

Yesterday an inquiry was opened by Mr. H.
Raffles Walliew, the deputy coroner for the county
of Middlesex, at the Dock Hotel,Upper East Smith-
field, Tower-hill, respecting the death of Pierre
Pelletier, aged 35 years, a Frenchman, lately em-
ployed at Sir Anthony Rothschild's gold refinery,
adjoining the Royal Mint, Royal Mint-street,
Tower-hill, who died from the administration cf
chloroform.

Mr. E. T. Wingate, the solicitor, attended to
watch the case, by the direction of Sir Anthony
Rothschild. and the utmost interest was manifested
during the proceedings.
The body of the deceased had been exhumed
from the Tower Hamlets Cemetery by the warrant
of the coroner, as the deceased had been interred
without an inquest.
The jury having been sworn, proceeded to view
the remains of the deceased,which were lying in the
dead-house of Aldgate Without, Cartwright-street,
Upper East Smithfield.

Upon their return the following evidence was
adduced:—

Pierre Dumesnil, who resided at No. 19, Royal
Mint-street, deposed that he knew the deceased,who
worked on the same premises. He was present
when the deceased died from an overdose of chloro-
form. He was present when the drug was admi-
nistered to allay the pain of an operation which
he was to undergo for fistula. Deceased bad been
afflicted for 10 years, but ne had been able to follow
his occupation. Dr.Diendonne,Southampton-street,
Strand, a French physician, had been his medical
adviser, and he had taken medicine for the
malady. The operation was to have been performed
at the deceased's residence on Monday, the 12th
inst., and a consultation took place, when another
French physician and Dr. Marshall, of Tichborne-
street, were present. The first named gentleman ad-
ministered the chloroform by the desire of deceased,
but the drug did not take effect for several minutes,
when more was given to him, and he became un-
conscious. The next minute he was found to be dead.
By the Coroner—l believe the deceased died from
the chloroform, and before he became insensible he
was pinched and pricked several times, which
showed that the drug had not taken effect. After
the deceased expired the physicians tried artificial
respiration by rubbing the body and breathing in
the mouth, but their efforts were of no avail. They
left the deceased soon afterwards, and the attendants
thought that he breathed, when they sent for Mr.
Cook, the surgeon, of the Minories, whose assistant
attended, but he pronounced life extinct.
Mr. F. G. Gant, surgeon and pathological anato-
mist of the Royal Free Hospital, was then called,
and said he had performed a post mortem examina-
tion of the body since the exhumation. He found
sufficient to account for death if chloroform was ad-
ministered. There was long existing disease of the
heart, and death would inevitably ensue from the
administration of such an agent. He found the walls
of the heart very thin, and the opening between the
auricle and the right ventricle sufficiently large to
admit four of his fingers readily. The heart had
right g. The utl4eFgone fatty degeneration. The lungs were
strop
that,gly
considerable
adherent_h throughout—. more especially th.e.
required
was of opinionadhesionsb were very firm, and it
leforce to remove them. He
with the feebleness of heart and
lungs, the administratio
oaumteadny
the action of the first administration of chloroform would stop
paralysis and death without organ,
warning.ad
By the Coroner—lt was v produce
very essential to asoer-