Harford T Allen [1895 1897] Chilton Times --- March 13, 1897 Charlestown Union
A very sad and unexpected death occurred at the home of Mr. Trubert Allen, of the town of Charlestown, on Monday evening, the 8th inst. The facts in regard to the case, are as follows; Mr. Allen had a horse which was affected with "the heaves" and had received a two ounce bottle of medicine from his neighbor, Mr. John Weeks, which was claimed to be good for the same, and which Mr. Allen supposed to be only slightly poisonous. Mr. Weeks had purchased a pint of this medicine, some time previous to the fatal accident, from Druggist Henry Rollmann of this city. Mr. Rollmann told Mr. Weeks that the medicine was the tincture of opium, or laudanum, a poison and took the legal precaution to so label the bottle. Mrs. Weeks also told Mr. Allen, at the time he got the medicine what it was, but for some reason, Mr. Allen did not so understand it, probably having his mind on something else at the time.
Mr. Allen put the bottle of medicine away in the cupboard, thinking that it contained nothing dangerous to life. About 8 o'clock a.m., Monday, Mr. Allen's four year old daughter together with his two year old son, climbed on a chair and opened the cupboard. The little boy, seeing the bottle took it from the shelf, pulled out the cork and drank the fatal dose. When the children were noticed it was found that the bottle had been opened and as the parents noticed that only a small amount of medicine was missing, and as the medicine was thought to be inert, nothing more was done with the case. Mr. Allen, a few minutes afterward, left home for Chilton, where he had some business to transact. Dr. Luce, on making one of his calls, passed by Mr. Allen's house about one-half hour after the poison was ingested. But the doctor was not called in at that time, for the reason that no symptoms had developed to indicate poisoning and from the further, fact that the medicine was not considered dangerous. At nine o'clock, or one hour after drinking the poison, the mother noticed that the child appeared uneasy, restless, groggy and unable to walk without staggering. She then gave it what she supposed would act as an emetic and waited for the doctor to return when she intended to call him in. The doctor instead of returning that way took another course to see other patients. Time dragged along, the child constantly growing worse. At 2 o'clock p.m. of the same day a messenger was sent, speed haste, to Chilton to summon Mr. Allen as well as a doctor to come to the relief of the patient. Dr. Luce hastened at once to the scene, but alas, it was too late, for he found the child moribund. On his arrival, some six and one-half hours after the poison had been taken, and no emesis having taken place, absorption had resulted and no antidotes could possibly counteract the effects of the complete opium intoxication.
The doctor remained until 5 o'clock, p.m., when the child died, in the mean time administering, hypodermically, the very best antidotes, but all to no avail, for the deadly dose had done its work, the nerve centers of the brain were paralyzed, the heart, was fast wearing itself out, the lungs were becoming consolidated, and cyanosis, or a lack of blood oxygenation, was visible to all. The doctor examined the bottle, from which the child had taken the medicine, and judged that it had drank about two drams, or one hundred and twenty drops, about eight drops being a good sized dose for such a child. The doctor also found the medicine to be the tincture of opium.
The heart broken parents have the sympathy of all, in the loss of their darling little boy and while we can truly mourn with them, may the sad lesson ever point us toward the "beacon star" of "Prudence and Caution."
A very sad and unexpected death occurred at the home of Mr. Trubert Allen, of the town of Charlestown, on Monday evening, the 8th inst. The facts in regard to the case, are as follows; Mr. Allen had a horse which was affected with "the heaves" and had received a two ounce bottle of medicine from his neighbor, Mr. John Weeks, which was claimed to be good for the same, and which Mr. Allen supposed to be only slightly poisonous. Mr. Weeks had purchased a pint of this medicine, some time previous to the fatal accident, from Druggist Henry Rollmann of this city. Mr. Rollmann told Mr. Weeks that the medicine was the tincture of opium, or laudanum, a poison and took the legal precaution to so label the bottle. Mrs. Weeks also told Mr. Allen, at the time he got the medicine what it was, but for some reason, Mr. Allen did not so understand it, probably having his mind on something else at the time.
Mr. Allen put the bottle of medicine away in the cupboard, thinking that it contained nothing dangerous to life. About 8 o'clock a.m., Monday, Mr. Allen's four year old daughter together with his two year old son, climbed on a chair and opened the cupboard. The little boy, seeing the bottle took it from the shelf, pulled out the cork and drank the fatal dose. When the children were noticed it was found that the bottle had been opened and as the parents noticed that only a small amount of medicine was missing, and as the medicine was thought to be inert, nothing more was done with the case. Mr. Allen, a few minutes afterward, left home for Chilton, where he had some business to transact. Dr. Luce, on making one of his calls, passed by Mr. Allen's house about one-half hour after the poison was ingested. But the doctor was not called in at that time, for the reason that no symptoms had developed to indicate poisoning and from the further, fact that the medicine was not considered dangerous. At nine o'clock, or one hour after drinking the poison, the mother noticed that the child appeared uneasy, restless, groggy and unable to walk without staggering. She then gave it what she supposed would act as an emetic and waited for the doctor to return when she intended to call him in. The doctor instead of returning that way took another course to see other patients. Time dragged along, the child constantly growing worse. At 2 o'clock p.m. of the same day a messenger was sent, speed haste, to Chilton to summon Mr. Allen as well as a doctor to come to the relief of the patient. Dr. Luce hastened at once to the scene, but alas, it was too late, for he found the child moribund. On his arrival, some six and one-half hours after the poison had been taken, and no emesis having taken place, absorption had resulted and no antidotes could possibly counteract the effects of the complete opium intoxication.
The doctor remained until 5 o'clock, p.m., when the child died, in the mean time administering, hypodermically, the very best antidotes, but all to no avail, for the deadly dose had done its work, the nerve centers of the brain were paralyzed, the heart, was fast wearing itself out, the lungs were becoming consolidated, and cyanosis, or a lack of blood oxygenation, was visible to all. The doctor examined the bottle, from which the child had taken the medicine, and judged that it had drank about two drams, or one hundred and twenty drops, about eight drops being a good sized dose for such a child. The doctor also found the medicine to be the tincture of opium.
The heart broken parents have the sympathy of all, in the loss of their darling little boy and while we can truly mourn with them, may the sad lesson ever point us toward the "beacon star" of "Prudence and Caution."
Harford T Allen [1895 1897] Chilton Times --- March 13, 1897 Charlestown Union
A very sad and unexpected death occurred at the home of Mr. Trubert Allen, of the town of Charlestown, on Monday evening, the 8th inst. The facts in regard to the case, are as follows; Mr. Allen had a horse which was affected with "the heaves" and had received a two ounce bottle of medicine from his neighbor, Mr. John Weeks, which was claimed to be good for the same, and which Mr. Allen supposed to be only slightly poisonous. Mr. Weeks had purchased a pint of this medicine, some time previous to the fatal accident, from Druggist Henry Rollmann of this city. Mr. Rollmann told Mr. Weeks that the medicine was the tincture of opium, or laudanum, a poison and took the legal precaution to so label the bottle. Mrs. Weeks also told Mr. Allen, at the time he got the medicine what it was, but for some reason, Mr. Allen did not so understand it, probably having his mind on something else at the time.
Mr. Allen put the bottle of medicine away in the cupboard, thinking that it contained nothing dangerous to life. About 8 o'clock a.m., Monday, Mr. Allen's four year old daughter together with his two year old son, climbed on a chair and opened the cupboard. The little boy, seeing the bottle took it from the shelf, pulled out the cork and drank the fatal dose. When the children were noticed it was found that the bottle had been opened and as the parents noticed that only a small amount of medicine was missing, and as the medicine was thought to be inert, nothing more was done with the case. Mr. Allen, a few minutes afterward, left home for Chilton, where he had some business to transact. Dr. Luce, on making one of his calls, passed by Mr. Allen's house about one-half hour after the poison was ingested. But the doctor was not called in at that time, for the reason that no symptoms had developed to indicate poisoning and from the further, fact that the medicine was not considered dangerous. At nine o'clock, or one hour after drinking the poison, the mother noticed that the child appeared uneasy, restless, groggy and unable to walk without staggering. She then gave it what she supposed would act as an emetic and waited for the doctor to return when she intended to call him in. The doctor instead of returning that way took another course to see other patients. Time dragged along, the child constantly growing worse. At 2 o'clock p.m. of the same day a messenger was sent, speed haste, to Chilton to summon Mr. Allen as well as a doctor to come to the relief of the patient. Dr. Luce hastened at once to the scene, but alas, it was too late, for he found the child moribund. On his arrival, some six and one-half hours after the poison had been taken, and no emesis having taken place, absorption had resulted and no antidotes could possibly counteract the effects of the complete opium intoxication.
The doctor remained until 5 o'clock, p.m., when the child died, in the mean time administering, hypodermically, the very best antidotes, but all to no avail, for the deadly dose had done its work, the nerve centers of the brain were paralyzed, the heart, was fast wearing itself out, the lungs were becoming consolidated, and cyanosis, or a lack of blood oxygenation, was visible to all. The doctor examined the bottle, from which the child had taken the medicine, and judged that it had drank about two drams, or one hundred and twenty drops, about eight drops being a good sized dose for such a child. The doctor also found the medicine to be the tincture of opium.
The heart broken parents have the sympathy of all, in the loss of their darling little boy and while we can truly mourn with them, may the sad lesson ever point us toward the "beacon star" of "Prudence and Caution."
A very sad and unexpected death occurred at the home of Mr. Trubert Allen, of the town of Charlestown, on Monday evening, the 8th inst. The facts in regard to the case, are as follows; Mr. Allen had a horse which was affected with "the heaves" and had received a two ounce bottle of medicine from his neighbor, Mr. John Weeks, which was claimed to be good for the same, and which Mr. Allen supposed to be only slightly poisonous. Mr. Weeks had purchased a pint of this medicine, some time previous to the fatal accident, from Druggist Henry Rollmann of this city. Mr. Rollmann told Mr. Weeks that the medicine was the tincture of opium, or laudanum, a poison and took the legal precaution to so label the bottle. Mrs. Weeks also told Mr. Allen, at the time he got the medicine what it was, but for some reason, Mr. Allen did not so understand it, probably having his mind on something else at the time.
Mr. Allen put the bottle of medicine away in the cupboard, thinking that it contained nothing dangerous to life. About 8 o'clock a.m., Monday, Mr. Allen's four year old daughter together with his two year old son, climbed on a chair and opened the cupboard. The little boy, seeing the bottle took it from the shelf, pulled out the cork and drank the fatal dose. When the children were noticed it was found that the bottle had been opened and as the parents noticed that only a small amount of medicine was missing, and as the medicine was thought to be inert, nothing more was done with the case. Mr. Allen, a few minutes afterward, left home for Chilton, where he had some business to transact. Dr. Luce, on making one of his calls, passed by Mr. Allen's house about one-half hour after the poison was ingested. But the doctor was not called in at that time, for the reason that no symptoms had developed to indicate poisoning and from the further, fact that the medicine was not considered dangerous. At nine o'clock, or one hour after drinking the poison, the mother noticed that the child appeared uneasy, restless, groggy and unable to walk without staggering. She then gave it what she supposed would act as an emetic and waited for the doctor to return when she intended to call him in. The doctor instead of returning that way took another course to see other patients. Time dragged along, the child constantly growing worse. At 2 o'clock p.m. of the same day a messenger was sent, speed haste, to Chilton to summon Mr. Allen as well as a doctor to come to the relief of the patient. Dr. Luce hastened at once to the scene, but alas, it was too late, for he found the child moribund. On his arrival, some six and one-half hours after the poison had been taken, and no emesis having taken place, absorption had resulted and no antidotes could possibly counteract the effects of the complete opium intoxication.
The doctor remained until 5 o'clock, p.m., when the child died, in the mean time administering, hypodermically, the very best antidotes, but all to no avail, for the deadly dose had done its work, the nerve centers of the brain were paralyzed, the heart, was fast wearing itself out, the lungs were becoming consolidated, and cyanosis, or a lack of blood oxygenation, was visible to all. The doctor examined the bottle, from which the child had taken the medicine, and judged that it had drank about two drams, or one hundred and twenty drops, about eight drops being a good sized dose for such a child. The doctor also found the medicine to be the tincture of opium.
The heart broken parents have the sympathy of all, in the loss of their darling little boy and while we can truly mourn with them, may the sad lesson ever point us toward the "beacon star" of "Prudence and Caution."
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