The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-18 00:00:00

POISONOUS

BERRIES.

Several persons have been recently taken to the public
hospitals of the metropolis, labouring under poison, from.
eating a species of wild berry, hawked about the streets, and
called " Bilbury harts." We regret to state that a man
named Parker died in the London Hospital yesterday morn-
ing, about eighteen hours after he had partaken of a Trio
made up of bilberries and sweetened with sugar. Parker's
wife and child, who partook of the same pie, are lying in the,
same hospital. The woman has suffered greatly, but some
hopes are entertained of her recovery. The child is in a
dangerous state, and yesterday evening it was stated that it
was not likely to survive many hours. The deceased,
Parker, who was about forty years of age, and a man of
strong constitution, kept the Veteran beer-shop, at No. 247,
Whitechapet-road. The berries were purchased of a man in
the Whitechapel-road on Friday evening. Another sufferer
named Mary Cox, of No. 4, 2ollingwood-street, Bethnal-
green, after eating similar berries purchased in the street,
was attacked in the same manner as Parker and his wife. Her
agonies for several hours were dreadful, and she is not yet
out of danger. Another person is in the same hospital, suf-
fering from the same cause, who is going on favourably.
From inquiries made by the K division of police, it appears
that numerous individuals besides those in the hospital have
bean attacked with severe illness after eating blackberries:and
other berries, the size of a small sloe, which are of a poison-
ous nature, and that three men dressed in smock-frocks, and
having the appearance of countrymen, have been selling
heath brooms, blackberries, and a smaller species of wild
berry, in the Whitechapel-road. Mr. Bloomfield, a surgeon,
residing at No. 125, High-street, Wapping, was called upon
to attend a family on Saturday afternoon, who were violently
affected by eating berries purchased of one of the men in the
Whiteehapel-road. He administered antidotes immediately,
and fortunately they have all recovered. Mr. Bloomfield
states that dangerous results would have followed
it he had not been called upon very early after the
patients swallowed the berries. An inquest will be held
on the body of Parker, and Mr. Baker, jun., the Deputy
Coroner, has ordered a post mortem examination of the body,
and has also directed the remains of the pie to be analysed.
Similar cases of poisoning have been admitted into the Royal
Free Hospital, Gray's Inn-road.
A letter, of which the following is a copy, was forwarded
:y
to the superintendents of police, on Saturday morning,
Mr. Cook, house surgeon. It was to the following effect:—
"Royal Free Hospital, Gray's Inn-road, Aug. 15.
" Sir,-1 think it proper to give you immediate notice that
a boy named Thomas Dilley, post boy, has been brought
here this evening, suffering from the effects of some vege-
table poison. His father states that his son and another post
boy, and a horsekeeper, all partook of some berries which
they bought of a man on Blackfriare-bridge. It is reason-
able to suppose, if this man has been vending these berries
as a fruit, that these are not the only sufferers.
" I am, Sir. your obedient servant,
"H. W. COOK, House Surgeon."