The San Francisco call., 1896-08-22
Instead of a Black Draught He
Administers a Deadly
Poison.
THE NURSE WAS ABSENT
I'm portant Duties Left to Ignorant
Hands - A Horrible
Result

Richard Sherlock, nurse in charge OF
ward B in the City and County Hospital,
caused a fatal accident by his trip down.
town yesterday afternoon. He left his
duties in the hands of willing but igno-
rant patient, and as result one man lies
dead in his hospital cot and another
writhes in all the agonies caused by acute
poisoning.
The two patients, David Netcher and
Thomas Murphy, were to have undergone
a delicate operation to-day, and to prepare
them for the ordeal DR.. Waller, physician
in charge of the ward, ordered that at
frequent intervals physic be given to
them. HIS orders were delivered to Sher-
lock, the ward nurse.
About half-past o. clock yesterday after
noon Sherlock went to DR.. Dudley, then
in charge, and stated that every
thing was all right in his ward and that
he lad left another nurse in charge.
Instead of doing this he had Civ
en- his medicine closet keys to George
Mallaber, half-blind patient, with
instructions to give certain doses to
several of the inmates Of the ward.
Among these were Murphy and Netcher,
who were to be given black draught.
w
medicine to Mallaber the two men went
to the drug closet and blunderingly
picked up bottle containing the tincture
of cocculus indicus, a poison externally
used as Iinament upon some other pa
tient
In few minutes Netcher and Murphy
were taken directly i'll and were soon in
commissions. The physicians were called
and every effort put forth to repair the
fatal mistake. Netcher died about 5
O'Clock, but Murphy revived under the
treatment and has a fighting chance for
life.
Shirlock returned about o'clock to the
hospital and was confronted with the re-
suit of his negligence. He had no excuse
to make, and seemed to be stupefed by
the occurrence.
Superintendent Stable notified the Sew
enteenth street police station shortly after
arrest.
Sherlock's statement of the sad affair
was that the two patients, Daniel Netcher.
who is dead, and Thomas Murphy, who is
dying, were to undergo a delicate opera
ton this morning. He was instructed by
the doctor to give them each black
draught during the afternoon.
He had occasion to go downtown, and
he instructed George Mallahar, another
patient in the ward. to give them the
black draught, which was in bottle in
his locker. He gave Mallabar the keys Of
his locker when he left TO go downtown,
and that was all he knew about it.
Netcher was a native of Massachusetts,
aged go years, single and admitted to the
hospital August 15 suffering from cataract.
He formerly resided at Enterprise alley
"I consider it in the highest degree re-
maIkable" said DR.. Stable, ''that after
eight years of faithful and efficient service
Sherlock should have been so neglectful
of his duty.
~ have always found him diligent and
prudent. How he could bring himself to
turn over the keys of his medicine chest
to the half-blind patient, Malabar, is
more than l can conceive.
His negligence, to my mind, is plainly
criminal, though am most surprised at
it. 1t looks as though no one could be
trusted when a man considered SO reliable
as was Sherlock, allows himself to commit
so grave an i'm mprudence."
Richard Shirlock has been a nurse at
the institution for the past eight years and
is a sober and experienced man.
Thomas Murphy, the man for whose life
the doctors are battling, is native of
ireland, aged about rs years. He lived at
ia Twelfth street.