The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-13
DEATH OF ROY MESSICK
1T WAS THE RESULT OF 4 VERY
PECULIAR ACCIDENT.
Poisoned by Absorbing an Acid that
DiscOIored the skin of His
Whole Body.

Roy Messick. OF 1871 Eugene street. who
fell from a street car in North Indianapolis,
breaking a jug filed with an acid of the
unknown strength. from which he was
poisoned, died yesterday afternoon about
3 o'clock. His case presented many peculiar
features DR.. Ira +. Cox. who attended
him left him about Wednesday midnight
confident that he would recover. His condi-
ton was much improved. Messicks body
had turned a deep blue or purple and this
deep color had lessened considerably.
Yesterday morning when the physician
called AIessick was asleep and his sleep
had every indication OF a natural sleep.
When he awoke his mind was clear and
there was every reason TO think the effect
of the acid had been overcome. About ;
o'clock in the afternoon DR.. Cox talked to
Messick, just after he had awakened from
another sleep. He asked him how ne felt.
and with an air of fatigue Messick replied
that he hardly knew Three minutes later
he was dead. Dr. Cox said the heart action
which was already weak, stopped without
warning and as quickly as the swapping OF
a piece of spring steel He gasped for
breath three or four times after the heart
action stopped.
The body was taken in charge by Flanner
a. Buchanan, who prepared it for burial.
At that time the body was dlscolored: There
were all over 1t large spots or deep Dlue or
purple, such as had been noticed the day
before. The blood was very thick, almost
completely cOagulated and of the color OF
tar
The poison which caused Messick's death
was said to be commonly known as prussic
acid. Its technical name is hydrocyanic
acid. 1t is one of the most deadly of poisoDs
and acts more quickly than most known
poisons. 1t is the acid which gives TO the
meat of peach stones apple seeds and cher
- -
preparation known to the drug trade as
oil of mirbane. 1t is also known as oil of
bitter almonds. The oil is highly charged
with prussic acid.
The account of the poisoning in the Jour-
nal yesterday morning attracted the atten-
ton of many physicians, who made in
quiries regarding the case during the day.
The case was an unusually strange one,
and physicians who keep posted on such
like ii in this State. The acid is used at
the Udell works, where Messick was en-
ployed, in making furniture polish. When
he fell and broke the jug containing the
acid his trousers below the knees were
saturated with it and considerable quanti-
~ got into his shoes. He did not change
his apparel and was poisoned by the alb
sorption of the acid through the skin.
Messick's father is a street car motorman.
He also leaves his mother and two sisters.
The arrangements for the funeral had not
been made last night.
Coroner Brayton, although the case does
not come under his Jurisdiction took great
learning of the death of Messick spent sew
eral hours examining medical works in
search of information. He found that the
commercial product known as oil of mir
bane is somewhat different from that so
designated in works on chemistry. The
commercial product contains prussic acid
in large quantities, and it was the absorp-
ton Of this poison that, in his judgment,
killed Messick. He found accounts of SINH
lar deaths from absorption through the
skin of drugs of a like nature. He recalled
q he 0fp IlrtPfo g rI,o
died from cyanide of potash poisoning
which was used for killing insects.