Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1883-10-27 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

SINGULAR SUICIDE OF A PHYSI.  CIAN. REMARKABLE LETTER.-HIS MID. DLESBROUGH EXPERIENCE.   In London, last Saturday, Dr. Danford Thomas held a lengthened enquiry into the circumstances attending the death of Mahomet Ismael Khan, M.R.C.S. and M.R.C.P., an Afghan, whose age was supposed to be twentyseven.—Alfred Charles Seeden, a dealer in stocks and shares, stated that deceased, who occupied apartments in his house, had studied medicine at the University College, and in June last succeeded in gaining his qualification as surgeon and physician. He was a well-behaved, quiet man, but had been greatly disappointed in not obtaining an appointment. On Wednesday evening week, when he came home, he seemed rather excited, but nothing occurred until the following morning, when the housemaid came to him at a quarter-past nine and said that something had happened to Mr Khan. He immediately went upstairs, and found the deceased in bed with his hand across his body, quite dead. On a chair at the aide of the bed there were three small blue bottles, all of which were labelled Poison." The stoppers were out of each, and they were empty, with the exception of one, which contained a small quantity of prussic acid. A tumbler was lying on its side, and a wine glass was standing up, also on the chair. On the toilet table there were two letters, one addressed to witness, and the other to the Coroner, which witness had taken to the office on the previous day. The Coroner said the letter which had been sent him by deceased was a very lengthy one, covering four sheets of paper, closely written. He 'would read extracts from it to show that deceased had thoroughly argued the matter in his mind for a considerable time. He left his things to Mr and Mrs Seeden for their kindness to him, and after le a th he wished University Hospital to have his hod; or dissecting purposes, and afterwards his skeleton to be placed in the Museum at the College as the " Afghan Skeleton." The letter went on to say : "I have of my own free will committed this act by taking a large dose of prussic acid. At the age of thirteen I was prepared for this, and again at twentyone I intended blowing my brains out for a real grievance, but was prevented by the sagacity of a lady. I am born of noble family, and might have been a ruler some day in my own country, but I would not be dependent on friends. After having doubly qualified myself, I determined to remain in this country, and applied for numerous posts, but could not obtain them, owing to my name and colour. I advertised in the Lancet, but directly my name and nationality were known I was refused, except in one case, when a dishonourable quack at Middlesbrough engaged me to prescribe for his patients out of six coloured bottles, and sign death certificates for people I had never seen. I have applied to Earl Granville for a public appointment, but never received any answer to my letter. I have spent £1,500 in acquiring my knowledge, and have no money left to start in practice. I cannot ask my mother for money she may want herself, and I have none left to pay my lodgings. I shall take all the bottles, although the contents of one will be sufficient, so that there shall be no mistake. I slept well last night, but not so well as I shall sleep to-night. I shall take the poison at three a.m. I had a good dinner yesterday, but not too much, as that would spoil the post-niortem."—The Coroner said he bad only read the parts of the letter which bad any bearing on the ease. The other parts. cousisted of deceased's theories upon suicides, quoting philosophers who entertained the opinion that to commit suicide was a sane act.—The jury returned a verdict that deceased committed suicide while suffering from meialal depression produced by his continued disappointments in life.—The Coroner said he had written to the secretary of the University College acquainting him of deceased's wish, and he had received an answer that the dean of the faculty would accept the deceased's offer, and wishing to know how he was to obtain possession of the body. The Coroner said that often people willed their bodies in ' peculiar ways, such as being kept above ground or cremated; but, however they might will, it could not be done without the authority of the nearest relatives. In this case, where there were no relatives known, they would have to obtain the authority of the Inspector of Anatomy to carry out this strange bequest.—The , enquiry then closed.  If you are troubled with a cough or cold, difficulty of breathing, hoarseness, tightness of the chest or any affection of the chest or lungs, take