The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1892-09-20
PURELY AN ACCIDENT
Investigation Into The Cause Of the
Death Of William Beaumont
THE VERDICT OF THE JURY
Physicians Testify Before the Corr
oner-Due Precautions Taken
In the Administration OF
the Anaesthetio.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

DEER LODGE, Sept. 19.-The coroner's
inquisiiion into tho cause of the death Of
William w. Beaumont was completed last
night. The inquiry was conducted by j.
M. Hartwell, acting coroner, and jury
composed Of Theo Brantiy. L. :. Stack
pole, II. Is. Davis, S. +. Larabie, j. n. Fox
and Joseph A. Hyde. The first witness
was DIR. $. w. Minshall, whose testimony
was as follows:
''On Saturday Mr.. Beaumont came i'm
and told me that he had several teeth that
he wanted extracted. and that he could
not have them extracted without an an-
aesthetic; that he had talked to Dr. Miller
and the doctor had told him that he could
not extract them under gas without three
or four, and possible q half-uozen, sit
tings. He asked me IL I would give him
chloroform, and after taking him in my
private office and examining him very
carefully. and finding nothing to lead
mo to believe that he could not take il
as well as anybody else. told him that
would give him the chloroform this morn.
ing at half past 10 o'clock. Ibegan giving
II ~ him at IL minutes to II this morning
and he had not taken quite an ounce, per.
haps, when noticed unfavorsble symp-
toms and Immediately withdrew the chlcro-
form and began the process of rcsuscita-
ton. After a second attempt asked DIR.
Miller TO step in to DIR. Cranson's office
and sec n he was there, and DIR. Cransou
Immediately came i'm and We three worked
for perhaps five minutes and then sent
for DIR. Douglas and he came, then Mr..
Joslyn and other citizens. don't remeu,-
Der just who else came.
"We applied electricity at once, even
before DIR. Douglas came. We did every
thing possible that either OF the three of
MS knew and later DIR. Owings came in.
i do not know how long il was after We
began working with Mr.. Beaumont that
DIR. Owings came, but he came in later.
There was no special sign of returning
life after VIC began working with him till
between half past > and 3 o'clock this
afternoon. do not know just what time
II was. but all signs of life were extinct. ]
asked Mr.. Beaumont Saturday when ex-
arnined him il hc had been drinking re-
Gently aud no said he had not drank M all
for six or eight weeks and that he had
not been in an intoxicated condition since
! early In the spring. | examined him for
the express purpose of asccrtaining
whether or not he could stand an admin.
istration of chioroiorm and considered
him fit subject for the administration
of the chloroform. have learned since
that he has recently taken the kecly euro.
do not know what effect the kecly cure
has on tho system. 1t is very seldom that
anaesthesia will occur with less than from
four to eight ounces of chloroform.
mir. Beaumont was conscious when
the unfavorablc symptoms showed them
selves. He was talking nationally to DIR.
Miller and myself. What mean by un-
favorable symptoms Is the dilation of
the pupil, and Immediately observed tho
weakened pulse. stopped the administra-
ton of the chloroform and began tho
work Of resuscitation. He went of into
! a state of unconsciousness and had had
had perhaps not an ounce, certainly not
more than an ounce of chloroform ad-
ministerial. administered il through an
inhaler invented by Professor Ezmark.
| The Ezmark inhaler. l think, is the name
Of it. The inhaler permits one drop at a
| time to fail on thin gauze which Is
stretched over wire. did not know
| until after Mr.. Beaumont was dead that
he had taken the Kceley cure.
cure. and knew nothing Of any
instructions that are given by these
men who administer the Kcelcy
cure as to taking chloroform or any other
medicine. nor do know what effect the
two would have together as the kceley is
a secret remedy and have never seen any
| statement whatever regarding II therefore
| do not know whether or no, IL ia n power
full remedy. Professionally know nothing
of the Kecley cure and | have not taken
any professional notice of any one taking
| the Eeeicy treatment. bu, IL had known
/ 80 NJ. naanp,.ns'z ha,-i,,.. hA,,,
| this trca ..nent would have refused 10 adj
minister the chloroiorm for it would have
been like experimenting upon him. as I
would no, know its effect or what effect
10 expect"
Dr. Douglas was called and testified as
| follows: about II o'clock this morning
was sent for to come up TO the dentist s
Office. went up into DIR. Miller's Office
and there found Mr.. Beaumont OH the
floor. DIR. Minshall and DIR. Miller werc
applying electricity and artificial respira.
| ton to the patient. / was told that he was
suffering from chloroforn nacosis. /
| stayed there and helped to work with him
| for about three hours trying TO rcsuscitate
him. I believe tha, IL was O'Clock when
We gave him up and thought !, was Of nc
use to prolong our efforts TO revive him.
| There was slight circulation maintained
| by forced respiration. The appeara nee
| Of the skin and members were tho only
| signs that existed to give us hope that
there was life. Wcapplied forced respir.
alton, electricity and injected hot water
into the bowels. and injected hypodermi.
cally brandy and ammonia. keeping tho
head in dependent position.
Those are the usual remedies In such a
case. and everything was done that could
bc done that would bring any hope Of sue.
| cess.
when was called by Drs. Minshall
aud Miller IL was about II o'clock. If
rccollcct rightly. they commenced putting
/ him under the influence Of the chloroforu
about a quarter 20 that time. so ! mus
have been called Immediately after that
do not know the quantity taken. Al
average dose depends altogether OH how
/ II has been administered. II il j. admin
is;cred in a conceu,rated form 50 that
| there Is but little Of the yapor allowed 4