Hello again Stephen, Don't get too hung up about where comments are placed on Death Certificates particularly those in the 'Cause of Death' column. The comment that: 'Oscar Bauche prescribed medicine' ... is probably nothing more than a notation advising that the patient was actually seen by / provided medication by a chemist - not necessarily that the medicine 'caused the death'. I would hope not anyway! It was often that chemists, out of absolute necessity, fulfilled the role of doctors, surgeons and midwives! Without them there would have been many more deaths, particularly on the North Queensland goldfields. I would be interested to hear if you ever find your Oscar Bauche. Cheers, Jen Dr. Jennifer Lambert Tracey BA(ANU);M.APP.SC.(UC); PhD (UC); MPHA; Archaeologist ~ Historian PO Box 629 Morayfield, Queensland 4506 AUSTRALIA Email: jtracey@heritagearchaeology.com.au -----Original Message----- From: aus-qld-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:aus-qld-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Stephen Nicholson Sent: 31 March 2014 13:17 To: aus-qld@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [AUS-QLD] A strange old medicine? Hi there Jen, thanks for the thoughts. I'd also done similar searches and come up with nothing specific - same as yourself. Whatever the "medicine" was, it must have been potent stuff to be added to the "cause of death" column. If anyone else comes across "Oscar Bauche medicine" with reference to anyone's death in Qld around the 1880's or thereabouts, let me know. Thanks ... -- Stephen

Hi there Jen, its a good point, perhaps the certifying doctor was indeed just making a note of the fact that David was taking the medicine. It is interesting however, the other usual information in the column such a length of illness etc. was not included. Nonetheless, I think I have solved the mystery of Oscar Bauche - and quite by accident. I was looking up information about David's widow Julia on Trove when I found an ad for "Oscar Banke, Pharmaceutical Chemist and Druggist" from Barcaldine, close to Alpha. He was practising there at the same time as David's demise. I think the name in the death certificate was incorrectly or poorly written. Thanks for your thoughts ... -- Stephen On 31 Mar 2014, at 3:05 PM, Dr Jennifer Lambert Tracey wrote: > Hello again Stephen, > > Don't get too hung up about where comments are placed on Death > Certificates > particularly those in the 'Cause of Death' column. The comment > that: 'Oscar > Bauche prescribed medicine' ... is probably nothing more than a > notation > advising that the patient was actually seen by / provided medication > by a > chemist - not necessarily that the medicine 'caused the death'. I > would hope > not anyway! > > It was often that chemists, out of absolute necessity, fulfilled the > role of > doctors, surgeons and midwives! Without them there would have been > many more > deaths, particularly on the North Queensland goldfields. > > I would be interested to hear if you ever find your Oscar Bauche. > Cheers, > Jen