South Yorkshire Times, January 19th, 1934
Drank Ammonia
Wombwell Man’s Sudden Impulse
Coroner’s Advice
“I hope that anyone else finding a person in similar circumstances will send for a doctor at once,” said the District Coroner (Mr. C. J. Haworth) at the conclusion of the inquest at Wombwell on Friday on Tom Hunter, 40, salesman, 30, Blythe Street, Wombwell. It was revealed that Hunter died from the effects of drinking ammonia, and that no doctor was called until he had been ill a week. It was stated that he did not want a doctor to be fetched. The ammonia bottle was produced for the Coroner’s inspection and, after removing the cork and smelling it, carefully, Dr. W H. Mosbery said the liquid was highly concentrated. A good spoonful of it could prove fatal.
Taken Ammonia
The widow, May Hunter, said they kept a shop and her husband had been employed by Crowcroft’s greengrocers, Mexborough. Recently the firm dispensed with a lorry and he lost his job. There was no other reason for his dismissal. About 7 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2nd, he went downstairs and half an hour later began shouting “Don’t come down here, don’t come down here.” As she stood at the top of the stairs, he came up the steps gasping for breath. There was a strong sell of ammonia. Immediately they gave him salt and water and milk, and he began to vomit.
The Coroner: Did he tell you what he had been doing? – After he calmed down, he told me he had taken ammonia.
Where did he get it from? – He must have taken it out of the shop. On a shelf in the shop was a bottle of ammonia and some of the liquid was missing.
Did you call in a doctor? – No, he was frantic when we mentioned calling the doctor, He seemed to improve, but later got worse with pains in the stomach. A week later we called Dr. Mosbery
The Coroner – Did he take any food in that time? – No, witness added that her husband died on January 10th, and was conscious up to that date.
The Coroner – If he told you he had taken ammonia why did he do it? – He had been depressed because he was out of work.
There was no trouble of any kind? – None whatever.
You must have thought he was seriously hurt? – No, because he came round.
Dr. Mosbery: Have you any idea how much he drank? – He said he drank very little.
The Coroner – How much was missing from the bottle? – About a spoonful.
Witness added that the ammonia was used for household purposes.
The Coroner – I think it must have been a very strong compound.
Doctor’s View
Dr. W. H. Mosbery said he first saw Hunter about 9pm. on January 2nd, and Hunter complained of acute abdominal pains. The relatives said he had taken ammonia. He was in a very acute condition but could speak.
The Coroner – Did you see any trace of ammonia about his mouth? – There was evidence of corrosion about the back of the mouth and tongue. There was also septic ulceration of the tongue. The man was very emaciated and in a state of collapse.
The Coroner – Did you consider the case serious? – I did.
The doctor said he called the following day and the man was then dead. In his opinion the cause was corrosive poisoning.
The Coroner: If this man had taken poison, he should have had medical attention straight away and something would have been done for him. (To the doctor) You have would not have given him salt and water? – It is not a bad thing to use in that case.
What do you advise in the case of a person who has taken ammonia? – If they gave an emetic as they did it is quite correct. Immediately afterwards they should let the patient drink copious draughts of vinegar and water, or lemon water, and follow it up with raw eggs and milk. I think that would be the best thing to do in such cases.
The Coroner: These cases are always dangerous because you cannot get at the trouble? – That is so. The doctor said that very probably the man was burned all down. The action, however, was mostly on the stomach, because that was where it would stay the longest.
Mrs. Green, wife of Joe Green, miner, 24 York Street, Wombwell, said she knew Hunter very well. She was in the house often while Hunter was ill, but he made no statement to her about ammonia. The family told her about it.
Always Send For The Doctor
The Coroner – did you hear any conversations about sending for a doctor? – We wanted to all the time, and I fetched him at the finish on the instructions of Mrs. Hunter.
The Coroner: There is no doubt this man should have medical attention immediately. There is no argument about that. Dr. Mosbery: it would have been better.
Arthur Frost, miner, a brother-in-law of Hunter, who lives at the same address, gave a similar account of Hunter shouting upstairs. When they got him sitting on the bed they asked. “Shall we fetch a doctor?” – and he replied “No.” They gave him salt and water and milk, and he became sick.
The Coroner – Why did you not send for a doctor – He said he did not want one and we did not think he was serious. He was downstairs everyday afterwards and said he was getting better.
The Coroner – But he did not take food? – he had raw eggs and brandy.
Witness said he had been living with the family for six years and he had never known Hunter threaten to do himself harm.
The Coroner: I suppose he had not taken it my mistake.
Mrs. Hunter: I cannot say sir, he was full of life.
The Coroner returned a verdict that Hunter poisoned himself with ammonia while temporarily of unsound mind.