Thomas PICKERING

05 July 1918

CRAVEN AND THE WAR

Barnoldswick Soldier Missing

Private Thomas Pickering, Northumberland Fusiliers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Pickering, 38, Essex Street, Barnoldswick, has been posted as missing since May 27th.

20 September 1918

BARNOLDSWICK BOY’S DEATH FROM PTOMAINE POISONING

Locust Beans Suspected

The death of a six year old boy named Wm. Pickering, of 38, Essex St., Barnoldswick, which occurred on Sunday last following symptoms of ptomaine poisoning, formed the subject of an enquiry conducted by Mr. Edgar Wood, district coroner, at the Town Hall, on Tuesday afternoon.

Mrs. Mary Ellen Pickering, (grandmother of deceased) said the boy came home on Thursday (the 5th inst.) and told her he had locust beans purchased at a neighbouring shop. His younger brother (aged 5) also produced a small quantity, but had not eaten any. These she threw into the fire. On the Saturday morning following deceased was taken ill with acute pains in the body accompanied by diarrhoea and sickness. Witness gave him a dose of castor oil but he continued to be ill throughout Sunday until Monday morning when Dr. Bradshaw was called in. The family had not partaken of any tinned meat or fish. The day before he died deceased said he had eaten a pennyworth of the locust beans.

Mrs. A. Whiteoak, 16, Mosley St., said she had recently purchased two small parcels (7lbs each) of locust beans from a Colne firm of wholesale confectioners, and sold them all except about half a pound at 1d. per ounce. Witness did not know deceased but remembered the occasion when the two boys came to her shop, and purchasing a pennyworth and the other a half-pennyworth of the beans. She had heard no previous complaints of children being ill through eating them. When a week later witness told the traveller from whom she purchased the beans of the boy’s illness he looked at those remaining, which were kept in a covered glass jar on the counter, and said they were quite alright: that he had sold thousands of pounds and never received a complaint before.

Mr. Maude (a juror) remarked that owing to the shortage of sweets locust beans were often pushed on to small traders as a substitute.

The Coroner: I have not seen any for years until quite recently.

Dr Bradshaw said he was called to see deceased on Monday, the 9th inst., and found him suffering from acute gastro-enteritis. He first suspected tinned meat or fish as the cause until told about the locust beans. Deceased continued in great pain until Thursday when he was in a state of collapse despite treatment by stimulants and gradually became weaker until the end. From a post-mortem examination made on Monday, Dr. Bradshaw said the internal surface of the stomach and portions of the bowels showed signs of some irritant poison which in his opinion was the cause of death.

The Coroner: Can you get ptomaine poisoning from locust beans? – That is a question. You may get a certain amount. Continuing, Dr. Bradshaw said there was not much known about the properties of locust beans except that they came from the tree commonly known as ‘St. John’s bread tree.’ He had never known of a case previously, though he believed medical history recorded five deaths due to a similar agent. He obtained two broken samples of the beans, which at first sight appeared quite all right, but after a lapse of about three days one of the pieces developed a kind of maggot or chrysalis.

At this stage on the Coroner’s suggestion the inquest was adjourned for three weeks in order that the contents of the stomach and a portion of the intestines along with the sample of beans described above might be sent for analysis.

[William Pickering was the nephew of Pte. Thomas Pickering.]