John Rylatt

John Rylatt was thought to have died from belladonna poisoning.

John Rylatt's sister said that John Rylatt had been at work on the Saturday and that after coming home, later that evening he complained that the middle finger on his left hand was swollen and later said that there was a lump under his left arm.

His employers told him that they wanted him to go to the infirmary, but he refused. On the Monday he got a bandage from the chemists, but he became worse later in the week and could take no food.

His sister said that he mainly drank soda water but said that she also made him a mixture of hot water, fresh lemons and Epsom salts, which she also drank herself.

When the doctor called, he said that he thought that John Rylatt had been suffering from some form of poisoning and that it was probably belladonna.

John Rylatt became unconscious, restless and his pulse became rapid. His skin also became dry and his pupils dilated.

The doctor washed his stomach out, but John Rylatt died within twelve hours.

However, his post-mortem was inconclusive, but the doctor said that he thought his cause of death was poisoning with something like belladonna.

He was also found to have had slight abrasions on his left hand.

An open verdict was returned.

John Rylatt was a blacksmith's striker.