The Washington herald., 1921-01-30
Dornin Ellis Dies in the
Geofge Washington Uni
vesity Hospital Here.
ERROR IN DOSE
GIvEN AS CAUSE
Inquest Win Be Held
Monday to Determine
Blame for Accident.

Saidks have been dosed with two
ounceE Or a deadly solution sup
posed to7 be bichloride Of mercury
insteak bf a preparation Of magne-
SUM GGphate prepared to alleviate
the efssats of an apoplectic stroke,
Dorniu Ellis, aged 70, Of The Earl
fnztonS Apartments, 3033 Sixteenth
street snorthwest, died at o'clock
SFriday Afternoon at the George
Washikgton University Hospital.
Heroics measures of resuscitation
were frustrated. according to ply
sIcian4 sf the institution. by exist
ence o . structure of the esophagus.
The ftrse in charge of the floor
where Enis has been a patient since
last Monday, according to informa-
tion avsn last night by Coroner
hewitt administered the poison dose.
She q Frustrated over the affair.
The Professional stan Of the hos
pital declare she had been on duty
for Nv Eye hours at the time Of the
dcsagA which was about o'clock
ycsterdAy morning.
sets Date for Inquest.
As soon as Ellis death was
5rough& 70 the attention of Coroner
hewitt he set an inquest for Mon
AZ
Inony sf-persons concerned will be
taken.
First Information Of the mistake
in mediation was given Ellis fam
sly earkrthis morning by The Her
aid. q daughter. Mrs. Adelaide
Grant. Z declared at the family's
apartuzht in the Darlington that
she ID been called to George
washington Hospital about 3
p'cIock ksyesterday afternoon, finding
her fa4er in a comatose condition
She remained until the death oc-
rurred. 9 Believing that it was caused
BY the Apoplectic stroke which had
necessi kated the aged man being
taken q the hospital. she made no
inquiries and was vouchsafed no
word as to the administration Of
the alhged death drug. she de-
Clared
Ellis a native Of the District and
for maay years collection agent,
vas stricken with apoplexy two
years ago. Mrs. Grant said. He
suffered the second attack last
Sunday In the hospital he was
placed y an eight-bed ward and in
the paw section Of the hospital.
Condition "Very Crave
DoctdEs declared that his condi-
| ton vtsr regarded as very grave
from tie start. one OF them declar-
ing he z''came in to die" Whether
death Sas the result Of the poison
shock attendant upon. resuscitation
measurss. or to hemorrhage caused
b. arBrial sClerosis they would
not deaare.
The surse in charge of the floor
Is said to have poured out a dose
Of about two wineglasses full OF
what sae thought to be magnesium
sUlphats early in the morning. The
poison Rottles are kept separate from
3Ihe nohpoisonous in the medicine
chest on each floor, it is declared
but th4 illumination was described
as not being good
shorty after Ellis swallowed the
his couhition was soon diagnosed
All known antidotes were admins
tered and a quantity of the poison
sxtractE, but the choked condition
of thee esophagus prevented full
regurgi eation. Coma and death en-
sued One of the stan of physicians
at the hospital said that a man in
better condition than Ellis would
not ha3 'succumbed to the dose.
THAI this apparent disaster
should occur" he said. lis proof Of
the terifc strain on the profess
sional star Of the institution. We
have been greatly overwOrked, but
rather sthan turn cases from our
doors &c have admitted more pa
tients ban the force normally would
be eNpscted to handle.
'-ThiSis a practical demonstration
or the erying need of this hospital,
in common with others, for nurses.
The nurse in question was worn
by her Tong duty. She had been
on duty Continuously with the eI-
ceptions Of 20 minutes for dinner
since $50 o'clock Thursday even
ing ana was in charge OF thirty
eight psttents, with one assistant.
All oncial moves in the affair, II
was Indicated last night, are in the
hands Il Coroner hewitt, who will
preside al the autopsy and inquest
Mondays
Ellis Is survived by a wife, Mrs
Alice FIiis; the daughter. Mrs
Grant, and a son, now In California
suneraE services will be held from
peare'S undertaking establishment
Aondayf afternoon, 1t was said al
kaA apaFtrnent last night