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1 Med. Sci. & L. 404 (1960-1961)
A Case of Fatal Accidental N2O Poisoning

handle is hein.journals/mdsclw1 and id is 404 raw text is: PROCEEDINGS OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN FORENSIC MEDICINE 20th MEETING ON JUNE 25, 1960, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER VII. A CASE OF FATAL ACCIDENTAL NO POISONING JOHN B. ENTICKNAP * THIS is a case of accidentally fatal poisoning of a girl of nineteen, who, although probably not an addict, certainly liked to inhale nitrous oxide. Sniffers make news; recently there was a case of an anaesthetist whose patient died whilst he was under the effect of self-administered anaesthetic and who was subsequently convicted of manslaughter' NO poisoning in hospital is a frequent and one might say every- day occurrence, and it is not uncommon as a means of suicide. A number of dentists have used NO to commit suicide, following the usual rule of suicides that they use the easiest thing they can get hold of. As far as I am aware accidental NO poisoning is an almost unknown occurrence. N,O poisoning in addicts cannot be regarded as accidental; it must be regarded, I think, as the result of a deliberate action. It is the fatality that is accidental. An accidental fatality in an addict or one who has deliberately administered N,O is as far as I am aware, apart from this one case, unknown. In the very nature of things one would not expect it to be common. If people are going to render themselves unconscious with N,O as soon as they are unconscious the mask will fall away from their face. If they have made arrangements for the mask to stay on their face, as one or two dentists have done for suicide, then the death cannot be regarded as ad accident, but the result of a deliberate act. I propose to illustrate this point later by referring to another case of accidental poisoning, or rather a case in which the defence of accidental poisoning was raised, which was not fatal. * M.D., D.C.P., Consultant Pathologist, East Ham Memorial Hospital. ' Lancet (1959) 1, 464. 404

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