Death from Mercurial Poisoning from Chinese Pills A practitioner of Chinese me-divine Lien Tiz-ming, of 333 Foochow Road, was brought before Magistrate Loh and Mr. Allman (American Assessor).at the Mixed Court on Thursday and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment for administering to one Koo Foo-tsung pills which caused his death.
Mr. E. T. Maitland appeared to prosecute and Mr. Val. MacDonnell represented the defence.
Evidence for the prosecution, which was heard a week ago, was to the effect. that the accused called at the house of the deceased in company with an amah for whom he wished to obtain employment. He saw deceased lying in bed suffering from a growth in the neck. Accused.asked for $10 and gave a promise to cure the sick lad. He gave deceased's uncle 50 pills which were to be taken at once, and told the uncle that unless the pills were taken the son could not be married. As a@ result, the pills were taken and the lad died of mercurial poisoning.
In asking for a dismissal of the case Mr. MacDonnell said that the case for the prosecution was a tissue of pure fabrications, the relatives of the deceased bringing it before the court because they were unable to blackmail the accused man, The accused, Lieu Tsz-ming, was then called. He said that he had been practising for the past 13 years and his father and grandfather had been practisinjz successfully with the same medicines before him. He stated that when asked to attend the sick lad he saw in the house another doctor named Chao. The mother asked him to prepare a prescription. This witness was unwilling to do because of the serious condition of the boy. After much persuasion, however, and after he had been given an assurance that he would not be held responsible if the boy died, he wrote a prescription. He was given $1, for his fee. Witness handed in to the Court a prescription which he had_ prepared.
Mr. MacDonnell—What would be the effect of using this prestription?
Witness—His. intestines @tuffed before, would now be clean Continuing, witness stated that when he went again to the house the boy was dead and the relatives at first refused him admittance. When he entered he was assaulted and robbed. The relatives hound him with ropes, attempted to make him sign a promissory note which he refused to do. He called out for help and it was only after an hour that a policeman arrived and took him to the station. He. did not give deceased any pills, he gave herbs which were to be boiled down and taken as soup.
In reply to the Magistrate. accused said that he nearly always ie rly
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