The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-11-21
POISONED BY HELLEB]RE
WHAT PHYSICIANS THINK KILL
ED THREE PORTUGUESE.
symptoms were Those Of Hellebore-
Condition of the organs Of Deceased
and Analysis Coroborative.

A number of witnesses were examined |
afternoon at the inquest on
Joe Silva one of the Portuguese who !
died after drinking some poisoned con-
coction at the house of old man silva |
last week. Nearly all of the testimony
was of a technical character and went
to show the cause from which Joe Silva
died. 1t was agreed by all OF the
medical men present that an irrltant
poison, most probably hellebore caused
the death of the younger Silva and the
two others who drank with him.
Dr. Emerson was performed the au-
topsy on Silva assisted by DR.. Nc
Donald and several others first told OF
the results of this work. He had found
the stomach, lungs and kidneys con-
gested and the heart empty, the last
condition being quite unusual. From
the symptoms he judged that death had
been caused by taking some irritant
poison which had caused the congestion
and produced a depressing effect upon
the nervous system. Death must have
been spasmotic as the man was known
to have vomited considerably just be-
fore death.
Regarding the kind of poison which
must have been swallowed the witness
was unable to tell but hellebore would
have produced such an effect. This
poison was quite common in Europe and
was used frequently, when diluted, to
snuff up the nOstrils to produce sneez-
ing.
DR.. Mcdonald who examined the
brain of Silva coroborated the opinion
of his colleague regarding the cause of
the mans death. There had been a
cerus effusion in the brain and at the
base of the cerebellum. Death had not
been natural one.
DR.. Herbert who attended Silva dur
ing the latter's last sickness gave a
history of the case. On Tuesday
Silva drank a quantity of stuff which
| he and two others found at the house
of old man Silva. The next day Silva
was at work as guard at the insane
asylum. During the morning the went
| to the office and reported that the pa
tents under his care were all feverish.
| The assistant superintendent went to
| see them but found this to be incorrect
| "Oh yes they are" replied Silva, cant
you see how red their faces are?"
Silva began vomiting soon after
and went home. He was informed by
| his wife that one of the companions OF
his spree had died so Silva became
| frightened and declared that he toe
would die and hurried to the office OF
DR.. Herbert. The witness examined the
mans pulse and found it a trife
stronger than usual. Silva complained
| of having Vomited copiously and being
unable to see distinctly The doctor
gave him some medicine to quiet his
nerves and Silva returned home. Thi!
was at 4 o'clock and at a. m. on Wed
nesdav DIR. Herbert was called to tn,
bedside of Silva. The man was mucl
worse and was vomiting bloody serum
He complained of pain in his stomach
and chest Silva died at a. m.
Silva died, the witness asserted from
a poison which was not of a common
kind. DIR. Herbert thought that
a m n
alcohol or methelated spirits and fusi
oil. The symptoms were similar how
ever to those produced by hellebore a
was proved by Silva's declaring tina
the faces of the patients at the insan
asylum were red. They did appear s
to Silva for the brain was congesteC
and the eye was gorged with blood.
DR.. Pratt the present executive office
of the Board of Health related tn
circumstances of his inquiry into tn
death of the first Silva. After tn
Portuguese consul called his attention
to the death the witness said he ha
looked at the body and talked with
young boy whose name he could no
remember who had been with old ma
Silva until the latter died. Consu
CanaVarro had also informed the wit
ness of the previous sickness of tn
deceased so DR.. Pratt thought tina
death might have resulted from kidne,
syphilis. After telling DR.. Garvin tina
he considered the latter most likely h
, signed the death certificate assignin
. syphilis as the cause of death.
, In. order to satisfy himself that thel
could have been no motive for havin
murdered Silva or cause for the latter
I committing suicide DR.. Pratt had ful
I Their inquired of the young man an
y also looked about the house.
Dr. E. c Shorey chemist to the Boar
7 of Health gave important testimony r.
Y garding his analysis of the contents
Joe Silva's stomach. Evidences of he
lebore were found in this matter as we
as in the blood taken from the man
body. In the mixture given the doct,
- to analyse, which was taken from Il
bottle from which the deceased W;
supposed to have drank, was found Il
alcaloids of helebore. There was all
wood alcohol and sugar and figuring
the proportion of the sample to the OF
# ginal amount there must have bee
n eight grains of the hellebore in II
n mixture. DR.. Shorey gave details
g experiments by which he proved that
It was hellebore and stated that in h
opinion the mixture might have be,
-. made by old Silva to use for sprayil
:, plants in order to kill insects.
=, Consul Canavarro testified that o
. man Silva had been very i'll two yea
ago and in the opinion of the witne
his death had resulted from that pr
n vious sickness. Old Silva had boast
n of knowing how to doctor wines but L
n witness did not know of his doing
l. He knew nothing of Joe Silva's death
Testimony was also given by 9th
er witnesses one of whom was j. L.
ID Silva a Portuguese special officer W
n drank of the same poisonous stuff wi
m his three countrymen and recovered
l. -
DIED.
At San Francisco, November Z, Rob-