A Wanganui man is dead after mistakenly drinking a glass of caustic soda.
Acting senior sergeant Darcy Forrester, of Wanganui police, said Robert Walter Baldwin, 63, thought the caustic soda was lemonade.
"Mr Baldwin and his wife, Eleanor, were carrying out routine maintenance at their Wanganui Wine and Spirits Shop in Duncan
St which involved the cleaning of beer dispensers," Mr Forrester said.
"For some reason Mr Baldwin poured the caustic soda into a smaller cordial container.
"Somehow it was mistaken for a cordial drink."
The Chronicle understands Mr Baldwin had no sense of smell and taste and also suffered from failing eyesight.
He was also thought to have had false teeth.
Mr Baldwin consumed a glass of caustic soda while his wife drank a smaller amount, before rejecting it.
Mrs Baldwin was in a stable condition at Wanganui Hospital yesterday, a spokesperson said.
Police suspected Mr Baldwin's impairments were the reason he was able to consume so much of the poison.
"Wanganui police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident for the coroner," Mr Forrester said.
The coroner was likely to make comment about the incident when the inquiry was completed.
The Dunedin-based National Poison Centre said if caustic soda, or sodium hydroxide, was ingested then people should be given a small amount of milk or water before seeking urgent medical attention.
Toxicologist Michael Beasley said it was rare for someone to swallow such an amount.
"The symptoms can take a while to manifest, but the oesophagus usually is more affected than the stomach," he said.
Caustic soda had a corrosive effect, he said.
"It would depend on the concentration of it, but the usual symptoms included difficulty swallowing and breathing and abdominal pain? we don't usually hear about severe cases."
Mr Beasley said the Wanganui tragedy highlighted the need for clear labelling and to keep poisons like caustic soda out of reach of children.
He was concerned many workplaces had relaxed attitudes to caustic soda.
"You often hear about splashes, but if you do get it in your eye it would be severely damaged."
It was a good idea to have wash bottles nearby, he said.
