(Edin.), sworn, stated—I am medical attendant at the C. I, M. School and have held the position during the last three a T remember being called in on Sunday, the Gth instant, to attend Gershom Broomball. I found Dr. Vu and Miss Hume in attendance putting Broomball int" hot baths, which we Kejt up almost without interval until his death, When T saw him he was not in pain, but was already pulseless, pupils dilated and extremities cold. At 7.20 he had passed profuse stools, which appeared almost. exactly like cholera stools, and from this and the general symptoms T judged the case to be one of cholera. Mr. Murray mentioned the fact of there being some doubt as to the character of the chicken pies eaten a' tiffin, but in view of the isolated ease (one hoy then ill out of the whole school), and in view of the character of the stods, I did not wait to consider this point closely, especially as our whole one were concentrated in saving his I None of the other boys were ill at this ime. At. 8.45 p.m. Broomhall died. During the time I saw him he had severe cramps in the calves, still further justifying my diagnosis of cholera, and accordingly certified his death as due to cholera and expressed my fear that we should have other eases of the same disease. His room was hermetically sealed and everything was to be burned. At 3 a.m. the nex', morning I was called in haste to go to the school, as several other boys had been attacked by vomiting and diarrhoea, I immediately went down. Norman Gray-Owen and Nicholas Gray were very sick, and I brought Nicholas Gray over to take Hugh Gray-Owen's room in order to be with Norman Gray-Owen with a view of isolating the cases. Treatment was immediately commenced. These two cases were rapidly followed by others, all affected similarly, until by 7 a.m. we had twelve sick, int cluding Hugh Gray-Owen, The attacks varied in severity in different cases, but the symptoms were all of the same class, namely, intense thirst, vomiting, profuse diarrhea—at the early stages very putrid stools—marked collapse, coldness and blueness of the extremities, sunken features, anxious expression, and dilated pupils. "I cannot say at what stage I thought it was not cholera, but seeing these cases were all confined to two of the tables at tiffin on the day previous, and in view of the suddenness and localization of the outbreak, I felt compelled to revise my diagnosis and to attribute the sickness to ptomaine poisoning. After the earlier stages the diarrhoea was no longer fetal in character, but watery, scarcely distinguishable from the water drunk except by the putrid odour. These symptoms of ptomaine poisoning resemble very closely those of a bad case of cholera, which latter in fact is itself one from of ptomaine poisoning. The first case I did not see from the beginning; the others I did, and their earlier stools were not those of cho-lora, i.e. the rice water stools of cholera were absent. Twas called in at 5 a.m. on Monday to see Hugh Gray-Owen j he was beginning to be ill. He was ill like the other boys but not so severely, and was in fact quite ch erful throughout the morning and early afternoon, reading a book. Dr. Elliott saw him and also Dr. Gulowsen, and we consulted together. Bo became more seriously ill towards the evening, and despite treatment all along gradually sank. He had cramps at intervals and died on Tuesday at noon. There is no doubt in my mind whatever as to the cause of his death being due to ptomaine poisoning, in which opinion the other doctors, namely Dr. Gulowsen, Dr. Vu, and Dr. Elliott shared. Had it been arsenic it would hare been more of a collapse. The other cases were not new. occurred between 3 a.m. and 8 oan. on Monday auf three in the evening, all which came from tables A and B.. Fitch died on Monday morning and I had by that time arrived at the conclusion that it was ptomaine poisoning, which the doctors who saw ultimate cases also confirmed, viz., Drs. Guest and Lumsden. I signed the certificate on Broomball's death about 9 o'clock on Sunday night. I did not see any of the pie; it had already been thrown away when I asked Mr. Murray to send for it on my being first called to attend Broomhall. I heard more from the Chinese servants, whom T examined, and found it was very bad. With regard to the collapse differing in various cases, this depends a great deal on the strength of the boys. In all cases of poison being taken into the diges-ive organs a good digestion assimilates poison quickly and naturally; in a bad digestion it takes longer for it to work into the system. Broomhall was a strong, healthy Jad and died exceedingly quick, whereas Molloy was weakly and held his. It is hard to say or give any length of time for the poison to act, By the Jury:—Yes, I have heard through Chinese sources that cholera is very bad in the city, but how true it is I am unable to say.
have never been consulted as to the dietary of the school. If I wore asked I should have recommended removing some of the things, especially cucumber salad, ete., in fact all uncooked fruits and vegotables, as these are most dangerous during an outbreak of cholera, and anyhow doubtful in the very hot weather. In my opinion it is very unwise in the hot woo.
ier_to cook food one day and cat it on the next, though I shall remark for special note that during the 22 years the school has been in existence, and this practice observed, thoro has been only one death, and that-of dysentery, although ths practice has been carried out during the Summer months, an almost unprecedented record I should say. I have examined the ice box since the outbreale. I do not think it largo enough for the school. As to the construction of it, Iam not an authority, but should wish'the best. possible constructed one for the school. I do not think the ice could touch the pies. I think there ought to have been an extra supply of ice on Saturday; this day was abnormally hgt, as was Sunday. I do not think the cucumber, water or ice-cream had anything to do with the outbreak, as it was localised. Flies may have carried erms into the meat before it was cooked, nut after the chickens were boiled 3 hours into a jelly ina clean cauldron, made into pies, and baked, it is searcely possible for any contagion (0 have existed. In the interval of cooling before being placed into the ice-box I do not think flies could have brought poison, by reason of the crust, which was not broken, (Dr. King here ye a len: ascription on germs.) Ptomaine poison is formed by fermented meat without outside agency. ° There have been no native deaths in the school. Drs. Guest and Vu held the microscopical examination on the stools of two of. the boys, but found no cholera germs. T have not been called, neither have I paid extempore visits, to inspect the school. I think it should he made one of my duties to do so by the authorities of the school, and also to see that what I authorise is curried out.
By the Jury:—Cholera could be caused by chicken pie if cholera germs got into the pie. As to whether the pies went bad owing to the temperature of the ice-chest or bya prisoned chicken I should say that as the chickens were boiled there could have been no germs. It would have been different if arsenic or strychnine were present, but. vegetable or ptomaine poison sels in after boiling, and I therefore consider it due entirely to the temperature of the ice-chest. Tan unable to say whether this may have been aided by "some defect in sanitation, as outside the room ju which
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