The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-01-04
POISON IN 1T.
Barnet's Physician Tells the Story of
His Death.

His Death.
New York, Jan. 4.-Detective Captain
McCluskey has given out a statement
made by DIR. Henry Beaman Douglass,
relative to his treatment of H.AC. Bar
net, a member of the Knickerbocker
Athletic club, who died in November,
1898, ten days after having partaken of
a powder which he had received from
some unknown person through the
mails. MIR. Barnet was treated by DR..
Douglass, who declared that he was suf
fering from diphtheria. Interest in the
case has revived on account of the
death of Mrs. Kate ]. Adams, from par
taking of a portion of the contents of a
bottle sent to Harry Cornish at the
Knickerbocker Athletic club by some
unknown person. DR.. Douglass state
ment is as follows:
ION October 30, 1898, was summoned
to see Mr.. Barnet at the Knickerbocker
Athletic club. Mr.. Barnet said that he
felt bad and had sore throat. 1 ex-
amined his throat and found inf1amma-
ton of the right tonsil the adjoining
parts and the uvula- This part was
covered with a membrane. His pulse
was about 80; his temperature about SO.
He stated that the day previous he had
been ill with his throat and had taken
small quantity of powder from a box
which had been sent him in the mails
which was evidently sample box OF
KutnoW'S powder. After taking this
powder he had Immediately elected it
from his stomach and had vomited pref
gency, DR.. Wendell Phillips who pre-
scribed some remedy for stomach trou-
BILE. DR.. Phillips said that he would not
call again unless he was sent for, and
the next day Barnet feeling his throat
still sore, sent for me. told him that
the emulation on his throat looked as If
it might be diphtheria, but that the
symptoms were so mild that we could
not make a positive diagnosis without
examining the germs in the throat
procured two culture tubes and made
a culture from the membrane from his
tonsil, and developed the culture.
Returning to the club in the after
noon 1 looked at his throat and found
that the membrane had extended slight
ly, covering more area than in the
morning. 1 told him that we would not
wait for the result of the culture ex-
animation, but I would Immediately
give him an injection Of ant1-tox1n. Mr..
Barnet had no bad feeling from his
stomach. His pulse was good and
strong; he was not confined to his bed,
and he had no vomiting or diarrhoea. He
stated that he was a fool for taking
anything that came in the mail, but
that he was in the habit of taking Kut-
now's powders, and the mailed box was
handy. The membrane in the throat
did not spread after the anti-toxin had
been given. Mr.. Barnet was sick and
it was considered mild case of clint
cal diphtheria. The cultures were ex-
amined the following day and no diph-
iberia germs were found in the culture,
but Streptococci were found in large
numbers. The case was treated as a
mild case of diphtheria. and Mr. Bar
net took large quantities of nourish-
ment without vomiting and without
diarrhea. The diphtheria ran the usual
course, the membrane disappeared from
his throat, and he was considered con-
valescent from the diphtheria. About
80 hours before he died, he, despite my
instructions and despite the objections
of the nurse, insisted upon going to
the toilet and remained there about
half an hour, using the toilet and wash
ing himself. Upon returning to bed his
heart became weaker and I was called
to see him. He was suffering from
symptoms of heart failure, and this
continued up to the time of his death
DR.. Andrew H. Smith, at the sugges-
ton of Mr.. Barnet's brother, saw the
case in consultation with me the day he
died. Just before death DR.. Walker was
called in consultation, but Mr.. Barnet
was in an extreme condition and there
was nothing more to do.
He died about o'clock on the afternoon
Of November TO- During the course of
rhoea or vomiting for the first few days.
his tongue became sore and the edges of
his gums became sore, which indicated
| slight symptoms of mercurial poisoning:
Upon Discovering the mouth symptoms, 1
| had taken on October 20, which had made
NOM sicR no@ ade 9he a sample efag Front of p
room, which was found by me in the
tane fn ms room ana Wnien
| fetal test and thought it best to submit
Containing the poWder to Dr. Elf Ellison Who Who
! in my presence made tests which satisfied
him that the powder contained cyanide of
| mercury In the intervening week. before
| Mr.. Barnet died, he had no symptoms
| which could be attributed to mercurial
| poisoning, except a sore mouth At no
| time did he present any symptoms of cy-
| anide poisoning and the only evidence of
any mercurial poisoning was such as any
| man might have developed after taking a
| medicinal dose of calomeI.
''Mr. Barnet's case. of diphtheria was
| not reported to the board of health and
| when the health certificate was issued
| showing that the death was due to heart
| failure following diphtheria the board
| started proceedings against me for not
| reporting a contagious Illness