In September, 1894, a case of poisoning by aconite was the subject of investigation in the Police Court. The vehicle for the administration of the poison was a decoction of coffee served in the usual way at a tiffin party of some members of the foreign community. The case fell to the ground for lack of evidence. In this case, if the victim had been in a hurry to leave the party and had swallowed the coffee instead of sipping it slowly, he surely would have died. It appears that the tingling sensation on the tongue, characteristic of aconite, was noted immediately after the coffee had been tasted and, suspicion being aroused, the remainder of the beverage was rejected.
In January, 1884, a Chinese engineer and his daughter were found dead and the engineer's wife was committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder. Like so many other poisoning cases in the criminal records of the colony, it collapsed owing to lack of evidence.
Three well-authenticated cases of death from the administration of aconite occurred in Hongkong during the period 1871-1896. A case is recorded early in 1874 in which a native doctor was charged with manslaughter for having, with fatal effect, administered a decoction of the root to a shopkeeper, aged about 30 years. It appeared from the evidence taken at the trial that the deceased ate a hearty breakfast at 10 a.m., took the aconite about 3:30 p.m., became giddy with dimness of sight, loss of power in the limbs, irregular breathing, and died about two hours later.
Mr. Crow revealed that numerous cases of Datura poisoning had been dealt with in Hongkong Hospitals. The solanaceous plant furnishing the drug was the Thorn Apple, the Datura Alba or Nees. The flowers from the plant provide a stupefying drug, an extract from which acts as a powerful mydriatic. The following case of Datura poisoning, quoted by Mr. Crow, is of particular interest.
About 5 a.m. on May 8, 1885, three Chinese (two women and a man) were brought by the police to the Civil Hospital, suffering from mydriatic poisoning. As the police version of the affair was confusing, it was decided to defer making inquiries until the patients had so far recovered as to remember the early details of the occurrence. On the morning of their discharge from hospital, the elder of the women stated that at 10 o'clock on the night of May 7, she saw the man put a small bundle into the utensil which contained the evening meal. When she inquired why he did this, he replied that it was good medicine. Later on, she saw him remove the bundle and throw it into the corner of the kitchen. The woman was instructed to proceed at once to her home and make a careful search for the supposed drug and bring it to the hospital. The flowers were at once identified as those of Datura Alba. A medical authority at the time stated that persons who had been drugged by Datura should be allowed more than a week to recover their memories.
In concluding his address, Mr. Crow dealt with fish poisoning. Two instances of malicious fish poisoning are
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In September, 1894, a case of poisoning by aconite was the subject of investigation in the Police Court.. The vehicle for the administration of the poison was a decoction of coffee served in the usual way at a tiffin party of some members of the foreign community. The case fell to the ground for lack of evidence. In this case, if the victim had been in a hurry to leave the party and had swallowed the coffee instead of sipping it slowly, he surely would have died. It appears that the tingling sensation on the tongue, characteristic of aconite, was noted immediately after the coffee had been tasted and, suspicion being aroused, the remainder of the beverage was rejected.
In January, 1884, a Chinese engineer and his daughter were found dead and the engineer's wife was committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder. Like so many other poisoning cases in the criminal records of the colony, it collapsed owing to lack of evidence.
Three well authenticated cases of death from the administration of aconite occurred in Hongkong during the period 1871-1896. A case is recorded early in 1874 in which a native doctor was charged with manslaughter for having, with fatal effect, administered a decoration of the root to a shopkeeper, aged about 30 years. It appeared from the evidence taken at the trial that the deceased ate a hearty breakfast at 10 a.m., took the aconite about 3.30 p.m., become giddy with dimness of sight, loss of power in the limbs, irregular breathing and died about two hours later.
Mr. Crow revealed that numerous case of Datura poisoning had been dealt with in Hongkong Hospitals. The solanaceous plant furnishing the drug was the liorn Appple, the Datura Alba or Nees. The flowers from the plant provide a stupefying drug, an extract from which acts as a powerful mydriatic. The following case of Datura poisoning, quoted by Mr. Crow, is of particular interest.
About 5 a.m. on May 8, 1885, three Chinese (two women and a man) were brought by the police to the Civil Hospital, suffering from mydriatic poisoning. As the police version of the affair was confusing, it was decided to deter making inquiries until the patients had so far recovered as to remember the early details of the occurrence. On the morning of their discharge from hospital, the elder of the women stated that at 10 o'clock on the night of May 7, she saw the man put a small bundle into the utensil which contained the evening meal. When she inquired why he did this, he replied that it was good medicine. Later on, she saw him remove the bundle and throw it into the corner of the kitchen. The woman was instructed to proceed at once to her home and make a careful search for the supposed drug and bring it to the hospital. The flowers were at once identified as those of Datura Alba. A medical authority at the time stated that persons who had been drugged by Datura should be allowed more than a week to recover their memories.
In concluding his address, Mr. Crow dealt with fish poisoning. Two instances of malicious fish poisoning are
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