Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-12
HINT DEATH OF
BRUSIE DUE TO
STRONG DRUGS
FRIENDS THINK TREATMENT
WAS iLL-ADVISED
cHLoRAL AND RRoMiDEs GIVEN
IN LARGE DOSES
Receiving Hospital Surgeons Go on
Record as Declaring Patient
Received Only Proper
Medicines

Since the absolute and complete vim
dication of the name of Judson C. Bru-
sie secretary of the state board of rail-
road commissioners, playwright and
politician, In San Francisco yesterday
by the court which issued the warrant
for his arrest in this city on a charge of
felony embezzlement, his friends have
raised the question whether his death
at the California hospital was due to
natural causes.
1t is alleged Brusic died from the ef-
fects of overdoses of chloral and bro
mides administered to him in the city
receiving hospital, and that, had his
treatment been different, he would have
been alive today.
This serious allegation is based upon
the fact that charts at the city receiv-
ing hospital show Mr.. Brusie was given
between the hours of and o'clock p.
m. the day previous to his death 100
grains of choral and 100 grains of bro
mide in hourly doses of twenty grains
each.
1t is stated that an effort will be
made in San Francisco, where the body
arrived at noon yesterday, to have an
autopsy performed to determine the ex-
act cause of his death, and If there is
any blame to be attached to any of his
medical attendants in this city an ef-
fort will be made to place it where 1t
belongs.
The facts in the case as shown by
the records and history of the case are
that when Mr.. Brusie was arrested and
taken to the city Jail he was on the
verge of delirium tremens from the ex-
cessive use of alcohol.
Taken to Receiving Hospital
He was placed in the receiving hos
pital for treatment and his family ply
sician, DIR. Southie of Stockton, who
happened to be in the city, was called
in consultation with DR.. L. j. Huff, the
surgeon then in charge of the receiving
hospital.
The two physicians decided Brusie
should have one and one half ounces of
whisky every three hours and that at
necessary intervals he should receive a
hypodermic injection of hyocine, NOR
phia and cactin compound, known tech
nically as II. M. and c., the chief in
gredient of which is one-quarter of a
grain of sulphate of morphine.
At 4 O'Clock p. m. Mr.. Brusie received
his allowance of whisky and an injec-
ton of H. NJ. and C.
At that hour DIR. E. H. Wiley, assist
ant police surgeon, came on watch and
took charge Of the case.
DIR. Wiley, when his attention was
called to the patient, examined him
and ordered the administration of twen-
ty grains of bromide and twenty grains
of chloral to be continued at hourly
intervals until the tense nervous con-
dition of the patient was relieved.
Up to s o'clock five such doses had
been given the patient, making 100
grains of each drug administered to
him. The average dose of chloral for
an adult In normal condition is fifteen
grains an hour and in administering
the extra five grains the condition of
the patient seemed to call for it, in the
judgment of the physician.
At S:45 o'clock p. M, by direction of
DIR. Sumner J. .Quint. Brusie was given
a hypodermic injection of H. M. and c.
and the choral and bromide was dis
continued.
Shows Signs of Collapse
At 2 o'clock in the morning Brusie
showed signs of collapse. and Dr. Wiley
who was again on duty. administered
to him 1-30 of a grain of strychnine to
stimulate his heart, and followed this
half an hour later with 1-100 of grain
of digitalin, most powerful heart
stimulant, and inhalations of aromatic
spirits of ammonia to revive. the respi-
ratory center.
At o'clock in the morning Brusie
was conscious, breathing naturally and
able to converse intelligently with his
attendants and a number of friends who
came to visit him.
This condition continued up to after
10 O'Clock, when he was removed to the
California hospital, where he afterward
collapsed and died of heart failure.
Whether this collapse and death were
brought on by the doses of choral ad-
ministered to him at the receiving hos
pital Is a question. 1t is asserted by
the surgeons that the effects of the
drugs would have been eliminated
from the system by the lapse of time
intervening. At all events, the sur
geons stand fatty upon their records as
having done all that was best and pos
sible under the circumstances and they
court any investigation that may be
made in the case.