The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-23
WAS IT TOO MUCH !?
The DEATH OF CHAS. A. WALTER.
Three Physicians Treat the Case. Two
Charge Morphine Poisoning.
sketch of His Life.

The many friends of Mr.. Charles A.
Walter. about II o'clock yesterday morn
ing, We're greatly shocked by learning of
his sudden death. During the day be
fore and up to late hour the previous
night Mr.. Walter was in his usual health
and good spirits and apparently the last
man to succumb to the great enemy
Under such circumstances it is but nat
ural that his friends should feel his sud
den taking off as peculiarly trying, and
that Mrs. Walter should merit the deep
est sympathy.
Mr.. Walter, while attending to his
duties as barkeeper for Mr.. M. Loeb,
complained at different times during the
day of pain in the side, bit as
he had been subject to attacks
of neuralgia of the heart, and
continued at his post, not much atten-
ton was paid to it either by himself or
his friends. After reaching home at
about o'clock yesterday morning, the
pain became so violent that a little after
1 o'clock DIR. Ames was sent for and at
tended to the case, administering RENE
dies.
After DIR. Ames left the house Mr..
Walter rapidly became worse, being UNI
conscious and making such violent ex-
ertlons to obtain breath that his friends
became alarmed and sent for DIR. Cole.
Upon arriving at the house and viewing
the patient DIR. Cole pronounced the case
to be one of morphine poisoning, and
gave antidotes in accordance with that
theory. Mr.. Walter was unconscious
while DR.. Cole was in attendance, but
had improved greatly when DIR. Cole left
go to his breakfast. Mr.. Walter APP
pearing to again get worse, at about 8
O'Clock Mrs. Walter sent for DIR. Strauss
The patient was then very low, and Dr.
Strauss remained with him, used his cleo
trio battery, with but little effect, how
ever, till little after 10 o'clock, when
Mr. Walter passed away. DIR. Strausz
pronounced the case to be one of NOR
phine poisoning.
Ames, Cole and Strauss, the physic-
ians who attended Mr.. Walter, in Justice
to them and to the family and friends.
and upon application they gave state
ments of their connection with the case.
DR.. Ames having been the first one
called, his statement is here given.
DIR, AMFS' STATEMENT.
SAT little after O'Clock was sent
for to see Mr.. Walter, and found him
suffering excruciating pain. | injected
morphia hypodermaically and applied
mustard with hot cloths and hot irons.
remained with the patient till about
O'Clock, at which time I left the patient
perfectly comfortable and in good
condition, and then left instruc tons
that | should be sent for at any time be-
tween that and morning if the patient
did not do well. My responsibilities
ceased when l left the house. When /
returned of my own accord l found an
other physician in attendance, and as /
had not been sent for | do not know
what transpired during my absence"
In answer to further questions DR..
Ames made the following additional
statement:
Il used morphine to meet the most
urgent symptom-pain-co it.,
with others, the first thing to be done in
a case where the patient was suffering
such excrueiating pain as was Mr..
Walter. Ii is one of the first principles
of good practice to meet the indications
as was done in this case. About half a
dozen injections We're given during the
two and three-quarter hours / was
present, about one and one-haif grains
OF morphine being used in all. In INV
own practice have given grain doses
hypodermicaiiy repeated at intervals
of half an hour. If given internally [
should have used double the amount.
The dose of any drug is the amount
which will bring about the desired
effect
DIR. COLES STATEMENT.
Upon being called upon DIR. Cole made
the following statement:
II was summoned to attend Mr..
Walter at about $50 a. M, and reached
the house at about 500 O'Clock. Found
the patient suffering from morphine
poisoning. He was perfectly uncon-