The San Francisco call., 1897-11-03
The Unknown Who Died From Morphine Poisoning at the
City Receiving Hospital Tuesday Morning.

sicians regarding the treatment usually
administered TO patients euffering from
dose of morphine, the man should have
been worked upon until he died, and
should not have oeen put to bed under
restoratives, as was done.
According TO Harold Kinchner. land
lord of the house, ii was first known that
the man had taken poison through COM
plants made bv George Wilson, guest,
He notified the landlord that the person
IN the ad joining room was breathing so
heavily tAat it was Impossible TO sleep.
Kinchner heard the la bored breathing,
knocked on the door and the noise
ceased. He returned TO his office, but in
a few minutes another guest made a
complaint. Investigations were made,
and it was seen that the occupant OF the
room had taken poison.
Klnchner Immediately went for an Off
Ger and had the ambulance called. The
unconscious man was taken to the hospi-
tai, but the efforts of the physicians were
without avail and the man died within
three hours.
At the hospital DR.. James f. Kearney
took charge OF the patient. At the end OF
half an hour he was assisted by DR.. Gates.
DR.. FitzgIbbon was in the room at the
time but did not assist. DR.. Kearney said
last evening:
II was not on duty last night but hap
pened to drop into the hospital. The
attending physicians had stepped out for
a moment, but did not return until after
the arrival OF the patient. When the
patient arrived L imme diately went TO
work and was soon assisted by DIR. Gates
and DR.. Howard. Alter it was seen that
nothing could be done the man was
placed in bed ana his death was awaited.
He died shortly after"
DR.. Howard said the man was beyond
aid wnen he arrived at the hospital, but
that, though without avail. all was done
that is usually done in cases suffer-
ing from morphine poisoning. He said:
"When the pltien arrived he was first
treated by DIR. Kearney, but l soon
assisted him in an endeavor to resuscltate
the man. When it was seen after two
hours work that it was impossible to
bring the patient from under the effects
of the poison efforts at restoration were
stopped and be die d shortly after. Every
thing was done that could be or is done in
such cases. The man had taken over an
ounce of laudanum and from his appear
ance the drug had been in his system
more than an hour. His system had alb
sorbed so much of the poison that an
judgment 1t was I'M possible to save the
mans life"
THE treatment in such case" said DR..
J. b. Gallagher, '1s to keep working with
stimulants antidotes and artificial respi-
ration until it is seer that the patient is
dead or about to die. Many times a pa
tient is so far gone that it is i'm possible to
even gain signs of life; but, again, man
may seem to lie dead, when treatment re-
stores life. The success depends upon the
patient and the amount OF poison taken.
as well as the time the drug has been in
the system"
The deceased registered at the Branch
House a bout O'Clock Monday afternoon
and was in an intoxicated condition when
he first applied for room. He was dis
| covered to be suffering from poisoning at
8 o'clock and was then removed to the
hospital. During the afternoon of the
same day he borrowed 81 so on a silver
watch at paWnbroker's shop on Fourth
street and signed q receipt as Harry
Spencer. When examined at the Morgue
the name of Hayes was found on his cloth
ing and 1t is now supposed that he is a
gam bier of that name from Portland. He
mad berth ticket from Portland en- route
to Butte City dated October 25. The bod v
is still at the Morgue awaitin identified
tion.
The Receiving Hospital has no stomach
pump, except an Old one that has long
been out of order. 1t has no bag of oxy.
gen and no galvanic battery. These use
ful adjuncts to modern restorative hos.
pitfalls, without which they are like Ham.
let with Hamlet left out, have been
known to prove useful in restoring o
patients whose lives have been despaired
of.