In reference to the recent poisoning case at Auckland, most of the local doctors seem agreed that the pie par taken of was dangerous, not because of <Jts containing tinned meat, but becaneo there was no vent in the crust. Dr Wilkin, for example, writes to the “ Herald ”as follows :—“ It is not generally known that any meat pie, beef, veal, mutton, or chicken and ham is most dangerous when baked with a thick crust, in which no boles have been made for the free escape of the mepbitio gases, which are mostly gene rated daring the baking of the pie, and and which poisonous eases become thoroughly impregnated with the meat and gravy of the pie, if not allowed free vent by several holes being made in the crust before the baking process begins ; which boles a good cook in variably makes, and an inexperienced one most usually omits. Several cases have come under my notice where the same choleraic symptoms have resulted after eating meat-pies, which were all traceable to the same cause—viz., no vent had been made in the ernst while the pies were being baked. The symp toms, too, are nearly always alike in all these cases—violent pains, vomiting, diarrheai, with most rapid prostration of strength. The fault in the present unfortunate instances is not imme diately attachable to the tinned meat, nor to the beef, of which the pie con sisted, but to the cook, I expect, who was either ignorant that such holes should be made in the ernst before baking, or she made them so care lessly that they became stopped. Not long since seven people in England were on the verge of death from eating veal pie from the same causes—viz. want of vent in the crust,”

A Thrilling Scene.
