The Sun.
London, England, 1818-09-02 00:00:00

MtLANCuoIA cATAsTRoPUE.

An Inquest was held yesterday hefore-Mr. STIR-
LING, On the body of Michael Dillon, of Drury-
lane.. The deceased had bought an ounce of Acid
of Sugar and an ounce of Epsom Suits on Satur-
day evening, and on Sunda?. morning his sister-,
by mistake, i:taVe him the poison, instead of the
medicine, he having put away the two powders
together without any mark to diStittgiiith one from,

the other.
.Mr. Fred. Accunt, No. 11, Old Compton-street, Sobel, sm.-
geon, stated, that on Monday morning he was called upon Iny -
the father of the deceased, to examine an article be produced
in a paper, part of which he said had produced the. death of
his son. He found the contents to he Epsom Salt's-, ahel said
to him that that had not produced the (loath of his son. He
viewed the body, and offered open it far the purpose f o
ascertaining, the cause of the death ; the friends of the de--
ceased declined having the body opened, and he applied to_
Mr. Le Brun, surgeon, King-street, Covent-garden (of.whoto
be was informed the Epsom Salts was bottght), to know what
be had sold the deceased. He there learned that a young
man laid purchased on the preceding- night one onnce of Epsotit
Salts and one ounce of Acid of Sugar (a deadly poison), in
payer. The articles resemble each other. Vtituess was of
opinion that it was extremely improper to sell articles re-,
sembling each other, one being a poison, without its being
written :Ton in large letters " poison." Mr. Le Brun
formed him, that be diet offer to tv; ite " poison" upon the
Sugar of Lead, but the young man declined it.
Dillon depo.:_,ed that the decc.s.sd was her brother ; be
was well in health im Saturday ni_tit, except a breaking out
upon his d, and a doctor advised Min to take some salts.
The deceased purchased some salts at Mr. Le Bran's shopl
and told her on Sal lit dav n;;lrlit to mix the powder the next
mottling in son r. oater 'for him to take. About six ••o'clock
on Sunday she wi nt to a cupboard the deceased's
bed.rooni, and saw ',v4. papers of an equal size, and both• of
the same ealour. Sh, soppased that they both Contained'
called the deceased to breakfast', and when she bail
dissolved the contents of one paper in warm waive., and gave
it to the deceased. tie diaok about half it, and necaine very.
sick, and soon after stamped ou a
the 'floorand said—" My
in He is lottrom-4—nli !be limit-top stult." -She went t,eNl•
I,e Bran's, and lie seat an ,einel4:. After he returned home
her fa. her came in : he was distr;tetecL She held the rianiiiis
of t I,e p,.isaci in her hand : her father endeavoured to seize
it, mid ',eclat., d that hr would go eith hint. and take the re-
, neciot.ler of the pot-nn : she threw it out of the wits low to
pt event lino. Ili, deceased lived abotit ta,t art hour after he
took the •,),,wder. Neither of the papers..-were written upon.
'Tice deceased spoke on sat orday about c4.aning his hoot-tops.
lii.:leconi re-examiued, stated, that he had, at the
relpiest•of the ditty, opened the body, and from the.stispear-
afters after dissection, he tv.is of Opinion
then
lath of tbe de-
cea,rd w:l3 saused by his taking some ve substance;
acid of sugar would produce the effect.
• Mr. *lobo Coopei, assistant to Mr. Le Brun, chemist,
King-street, Covent-garden, stilted, that on Saturday 'tight'
last the deccas,:il came lei Mr. Le Brun's shop, and paireliatted
an ounce of acid of sugar, for which he paid one He.
5.,;15 cuing to write the 'tante of it on, when the deceased said,
" Never mind," and scented in a hurry. He was about to-i
• leave, when he asked for an ounce of Epsom salts, and left
the shop itnmediately.
Coroner—A superficial observer might mistake acid of.
sugar tot salts ?
Mt. Cooper—There is a diflerence in appearance and its
taste.
Coroner—Yes, one is very sour, and the other extremely

nauseous.
Mr. Cooper—One is larger in the ehrystals than the other.
Juryman-4 aro of opinion Mr. Cooper's conduct w“s ex-
tremely culpable. Pray, Mr. Cooper, it you had seen the two
papers its a law hours afterwards, could you, by a superficial
view, tiara told which contained ;he salts and which the-acid
of sugar?
Mr, Cooper—No. I should nut.
juryman—Then I hope this will prove a caution, not only
to von, but every other medical man.
Mr. STIRLIFG, in snooping- up the evidetwe, marked the
impropriety of Dlr. Cooper's condact:. he aid that be bad
acted with great incaution), but not with any criminality.
.Itiryinao--Every Medical titan .audit' to Clare the word
" poison" written on deleterious drugs. - •
Coroner—Your verdict will then be, " The deceased died
from taking acid of suz;r in mistake for salts ;" if any (jell-
tleor an is of a contrary opinion he •will say so.
Juryinau—l differ. I think the deceased's death was caused
by the culpable neglect of ;oolr. Cooper, and I wish that to he
wentioneol in the verdict as a caution to all medical Men', and
which may be the means of 'preventing a recurrence of ittch
a lameniable case.
One of the.lttry thought such a verdict would prove injuri-
ous 10 Mr. Comper'S moul at ion•
The Coronet said, that it was truly an unfortunate acci-
dent: there was SitHIC negligence on the part of Mr.Cororker,
but that he had acted wilfully was totally toot of the question.
After a !wig conversation and warm discussion, the follow-
ing verdict Was recorded Died in consequence of having
talon a large quantity of, acid of sugar instead of a dose of
salts, it ..,tron4ly resembles."
am.endinent afterwards was aurced to, that thse words
cclarge quantify" should he omitted, and the words i. half
Si) ounce" should he inserted. It took place at the-instance
Of the surgeon, that the medical wok might he acqoaint
withed
the. tffects of half an ounce of acid of sugar, which dis-
patched the deceased in 16 minutes.
The deceased was on years of age; and was to have been
married in a few Ahoy,* to a young Lady, who as been 'ever
since iu a state of distraction.—(ilikriting Caw: h
ek.)