, 1870-07-07
DRUGGED TO DEATH.
Eatnl Error by q Drug Clcrk-A Lady
Poisoned with Solution Of Opium.
~. Tro~E. f,,y,,

From the Str Fort Herald, Juy3.
Another fatal error has been made by drug
clerk, by which ! lady named Mrs. John T, Bar
nard, the wife Of an estlmable citizen, lost her
lie. This is the second OF third case in which
the error Of drug clerks has resulted in the
death Of tile patient, in Brooklyn, within the
past year or two. Slrd. Barnard, tho present
victim, who resided at the corner Of Ryerson
street and Gates avenue, Was afflicted with
abdominal pains On ThursdAy. and the family
physician, DR.. RJoseph lC. Hutchinson, Of Gin
ton avenue, WAS called IN to prescribe The doc
tor wrote out a prescription for two ounces oi
the tincture OF opium, q teaaPoonfn Of which
was 10 bo taken oveEy hour for three hours il
glass Of leo water, when it waa believed re-
lief would be Obtained. DR.. Hutchinson re-.
quested that the prescription for the drug
should be taken to Mr. OliH's drug store, 81
the corner Of Vanderbilt and Fulton avenues,
The store way visited t{ one of nr. Ba1nard'e
person then proceeded to the pharmAcy Of W.
L. Gore, at the corner Of Fulton and Wash
ington avenues. As it waa about midnight
this place was also closed, but the night-bel
was answered by Robert Weyh, ono Of the
clerks The clerk immediately proceeded tc
put it up; but, notwithstanding the fact thai
it was plainly written, he mistook it, and put
up solution Of opium instead Of the tincture
as prescribed. The messenger returned home
with the drug, and it was administered as d.
rooted by the ysician-thEee teaspoonfuls IL
threo hours, in ice water. Mrs. Barnard fel
until Friday afternoon, when she died fron
the Objects Of the poison. When the family
found that it was impossible to arouse Mrs
Barnard from her atupor. DR.. Hutchi5on was
again summoned TO her bedside, and, together
with Dr.. A. D. Wilson, did Ill in their power It
save the life Of the patient, but their efforti
proved unavaiing, and the family we're throw
into the. greatest grief by the untlmely deatt
Of The lady through the terrible b1under Of the
clerk
AIr. Barnard, husband Of the deceased, ia I
we'll known coal dealer Oh Fulton avenue, AMI
the unfortunate case has created considerable
excitement where they reside. When D
Hutchinson discovered the mistake ho pro
ceeded to the drug store and requested to Sec
the prescription. It was as follows:
X. Tlnct Opii Compt. {saulbbs), 3 oz-
3 teaspooniul every hour, In Ice wafer.
The following colloquy then took place be
tween the doctor andthe clerk:
Dr. Hutchison-This is msrkod +" "Tinctutt
opii compositus." It IL made up liquor opH
How did that occur?
Clerk-Didn't you mean liquor opii?
DR.; Hutehison-l meant exactly what
plainly wrote down.
Clerk first thought it was intended fol
paregoric, then for camphorated extract oi
| laudanum.
Dr.. Hntchiaon-Yocr mistake has proved .
| very serious thing Tor lady, who IS now pfoh
ably dying from having taken the prescHptior
| you sent.
The tincture Of opium is what is almost uni
| yersally known an Squbbs' cholera mixture
It is entirely effective and customary and aaft
for such complaints as that with which Yrs
Barnard was taken- Liquor opii, the solution
Of opium, is a very different thing, Is to its
| strength, being many times mora powerful
The namo Il 'sqnibbs :" in the right hand cor
ner Of the paper indicated thatthe ordioaI.
cholera mixture Of that gcntlemau was intend,
ed explicitly, and the directions underneath
indicated equally explicitly exactly what was
wanted, that beipE the direction in pursuaact
OF which the medicine is given.
The clerk is young man. who has been il
the employ OF Mr.. Gore for the past three
years. lie says he is competent, is always
careful in putting up prescriptions, and can.
not tell how he came to make the error. He
said he thought after retiring to bed that .
teespoouful was large dose OF the lquol
opii. He never mado an error before.
Mrs. Barnard was So years Of age, ant
Leaves husband and four children.