Southeastern Gazette, 4 January 1853.

GREENWICH.

Death from Poison and alleged Neglect of a Surgeon.

On Wednesday last an inquest was opened before C. J. Carttar, Esq., coroner, at the "Black Horse Tavern," Lower-road, Greenwich, relative to the death of Mr. John Clements, late commander of the government hoy, Mary. The deceased resided at Deptford, and on Thursday week, finding himself unwell upon returning with his vessel from Woolwich to Deptford Victualling-yard, he went to the surgery of Dr. Gunn, in the yard, and consulted him as to the violent pains he had felt in his stomach, and his vomiting all the previous night, after drinking something from a bottle which he said had been given him by the “lob-lolly-boy,” or surgeon’s assistant, of the Rosamond, "to do him good if he got drunk over night." Dr. Gunn found the bottle to contain tinc.sem.colchie, a vegetable medicine prescribed for gout and rheumatism, and which, taken in any quantity, was of a poisonous character. Mr. Clements admitted that he had taken a wine glass full on feeling chilly, thinking that, as there was rum in it, the mixture would warm him. Dr. Gunn prescribed for him and sent him home, where he remained in a lingering state till Friday morning, when he expired. Some of the jury deemed it necessary to have the assistant surgeon of the Rosamond in attendance, to account for giving medicine of such a kind to deceased. The inquest was therefore adjourned till this day, in order that he might be summoned.