From Western Post, 10 August 1861 SUPPOSED DEATH BY POISON An inquiry was held at the hospital on Thursday afternoon before G WARBURTON, Esq., P.M., touching the death of a patient of the name of Thomas BURNS. Dr W KING having been sworn, deposed that he was sent for on the 2nd instant to see deceased at the Royal Oak, he found him very cold, with an anxious countenance and very feeble pulse; he had said he had not been drinking, and that his bowels were very regular. He had vomited, and a dog which partook of the matter was immediately paralysed. He (Dr KING) having to leave Mudgee for the purpose of holding an inquest at Cox's Flat; and suspecting that the man had taken something deleterious, requested Dr CUTTING to visit him during his absence. On his return he found deceased had been removed to the hospital, where he attended him. He several times went off almost into a state of collapse. On Wednesday he felt s much better that he arose from his bed. On his next visiting him he found him dead; he died about 12 o'clock at night. From the symptoms of the case he was of the opinion that death was occasioned from his having taken poison, especially when the state of the dog! was taken into consideration. T HEALY said that deceased came to the Royal Oak on the 31st July; he was accompanied by two gold diggers who said that hey had picked the man up on the Sydney Road; that he was in a very destitute condition. They afterwards went on their way. On the following morning deceased asked witness's wife if he could get any work; they promised to employ him provided he could give a reference to any one in the town, and in the meantime set him to a job in the yard. He did this work very well, and appeared to be in a very healthy state till the afternoon, when hearing a moaning noise he (Mr HEALY) went out to see what was the matter, and found deceased in the kitchen shriveled up and apparently in great pain, with his hands across the region of his stomach. He gave him a glass of brandy and applied a mustard poultice, which gave him considerable relief for an hour. Towards evening he had a relapse; he then gave him a mustard bath, and hot drinks, which eased him until morning, w! hen the pain returned. He vomited, and a dog belonging to the house which ate part of the vomit became perfectly paralysed. The dog was not now to be found; search had been made in all directions for it. He immediately went for a medical man. On Friday the deceased was removed to the hospital. The dog was perfectly well and lively up to the time of its eating the vomit. Did not think that the man was poisoned; he had been in a very destitute state, and had slept in the cold upon the mountains. Had told him that the two men had been very kind to him. Arthur Thomas Pigot CUTTING, was a duly qualified medical practioner, had held a post mortem examination on the body; he found the heart half as large again as the usual size, the lungs were very much congested, the liver enlarged to twice the normal size and much congested; and the right kidney was slightly diseased, which appearances were quite sufficient to account for death. From the appearance of the man previously to death, and the circumstances of the dog suffering in the manner he did, he was of the opinion that the man had taken some deleterious substance. Upon Dr KING leaving Mudgee he at his request visited deceased, who told him that he had drank nine glasses of rum at SULLIVAN's; had known men drink as much as thirty glasses of rum without being ill; had not made an analysis it being too late. This being the whole of the evidence, and considering the diseased state of the body, and the privation the man had evidently undergone, the Police Magistrate considered there was sufficient cause for death. ***END*** N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW