Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1913-03-06
DRUGGISTS ERROR
KILLS YOUNG Child
Bichleride Of Mercury Is Given In Pre-
Scripti0n Instead Of Mild Chloride
"a Mercury with Fatal Results.
Father Frantic.

RIG NJ ON ID. vA.-Speciai.-

1 AfA~H~AaN~ ~
RIG MON d. vA.-Special--
/ 1nomaS Mllllam McCrory. the TWEEN
/ ty-two-Ncar-Old drug clerk who COM
\ pounded the prescription which snun-
/ cd out the lie OF little fOur-yc0r-OlO
Robert Lionel LcMasurier. son OF
7 captain and Mrs Joseph LcMasurier,
/ OF Si-g Nest Franklin street. shortly
after O'Clock yesterday morning. was
/ arrested by Detective Sergeant Wiley
Z as soon AS the verdict OF the cOrOners
Jury was rendered about 1:30 o'clock
this afternoon. The verdict vas as
follows,
Robert Lionel LeAIasurier came 20
/ his ucath ON the 15th day OF February,
1s1S. from the effects OF bichloride OF
mercury, administered on the gath
day Of February. 1913. by its parents,
who believed that they were giving
! soletary medicine. and that the bichlO-
. ride OK mercury was dispensed on the
gath DAY OF February by Thomas VIII
Tam McCrary. registered assistant
pharmacist. instead OF maid chloride
OF mercury. which had been prescribed
by pr. r.. W. Gee 10y telephone. and
THAI owing 20 tSC similarity OF the
names when spoken by telephone the
doctor and the clerk mutually misun-
derstood each other.
"iSigned) William II. Taylor. NJ. u.
coroner. a. n. calder. J. ID. Lyle.
". Starke. T. a. Parsons
T.. J. Brands. field secretary OF the
State Board Of Pharmacy. was
an Interested auditor az the inquest.
he viii make a report OF the matter
90 the state board. but would not
state this afternoon what his recon-
mcndGtion would be. lie has the au-
thority 90 advocate the revocation OF
a pharma Cists license I'm such cases.
Young McCrary took his formal ar
rest phnosoph!cally. and went with
the detective and his employer. !.
Paul Fletcher. 60 the Hustinrs Court
H.U n.fH Id a..
the sum OF $500.
II was brought out that mild chic
ride 81 mercury" was the name hy
which calomel otherwFe ls called.
ano while DR. Gee said that IL was
) his first impression that he mentioned
.calnmcl. although ne might have said
. mild chloride" MCCrary was posi-
awe in his assertion that ne understood
the physician 90 say "hichloride OF
: mercury" and that he repeated this
Z name over the phone 90 Dr. Gee.
% McCrary said that ne had not been
able 20 understand the name OF the
= person 20 whom the medicine was 90
O Pc sent and that he only caught
S the address. 3f27 West Franklin
o Street lie said ne mistrusted the pre-
8 scription. and that he called Dr. Gees
Office on the phone. but was unable
90 get anyone there 20 respond. he
$ then tried 10 find the name OF the per
q son residing az the address given. hy
@ consulting "a city directory. "a tclc-
l. phone book and by asking "informa.
> ton" az the telephone exchange.
r Tho Deadly Drug.
u When he was unable 20 do so. hl
e. testified. hc compounded the urcscrln.
E, zion. but included only one and one.
's half grains OF hlchloridc OF mercury
instead % two grains. as he hao under
stood the prescription go demand. n,
o. said ne had consulted his books AND
De- had learned that onc-third OF "a graiI
,t was The maximum dose OF the ocadl,
IT. 7" a.
p Athc medicine made the dose only one
g fourth OF a grain.
ia When asked hy Coroner Taylor Z
he had not thought that the direction
D. 20 take one % the six powders ever.
'e twenty minutes would bc very dan
-s Eerous even 90 an aoult. he said tina
q tne thought never had occurred q
q him.
s.. ]. =. Fletcher. owner OF the dru.
q STORE where the prescription was com
it pounded. questioned DR.. Gee and SIC
81 Crazy az various points Of their sto
ID Easily Confoundcd.
Us Cc-o=cr Taylor declared THAI 'hl
chloride" and "mud chloride" sound
90 $50 similarly that he could readu
4. unocrsta Ind how the two terms mich
~ Pee contornacd in telephone CONVEX
eltlcn.
OF Captain Joseph IcNTasurior. tho IN
% ihrr oi the dead child. also intcrrO
30 gated The witnesses az various stage.
'ne question which DE wished 90 ASH
d. "Nt which The coroner would not Der
Z. NIT. was why McCrary had not write
T. note alc sent it with the prescrip
ton. notifying the recipient OF al
II medicine % its dangerous qualities.
Dr- Gee. who resides at fI6 Eae
, Grace street testified 90 the effec
pr tnnt ne had been called 20 The J. "a
Masurier home 90 treat the bah,
- which was suffering from acute in
n digestion. about O'Clock Nonda
n morning. that the fatal prescriptio
,N was telephoned about 1890 o'cloc
. that morning. that he thought n
.p mentioned the word "calomel" bn
.e might have used mild chloride" al
~ though ne had written the prescrlr
~ ton before telephOning 10 and ma
10 written the word "calomel"
Acted Promptly.
lie said that az soon as ne wa
nothed by Mr.. Fletcher Of the IN
seTtion % blchlorlde ia the compoun
ne had telephoned the father OF IN
n child 20 gise IL cmetics and that b
y himself. with Or. ST. George GrlnnaI
" had rushed o. the home and washe
out the haby's stomach. that ne wa
under the Impression. but was nC
H. sure. that Accrary repeated the pre-
ID Hcription 20 him and mentioned "ca
g. omel. instead OF "bichloride" q
a. 4 mild chloride"
The fret dose % the medicine wa
no given about 1890 o'clock AIonda
.e evening. and the last Few mlnut,
t- before the fatal mistake was discol
b. cred.
"a Or. Gee said thar his invarlab
custom was 90 write the name OF "a
~ patients al thc bottom Of his pr,
y. errIufluW n-d that na he wrote ff q