A BLIND mum-of-five died after developing an allergic reaction to penicillin.

An inquest was told Mary Bothamley, of Longworth Road, Horwich, visited her dentist in August 1999 after developing toothache.

She died in the Royal Bolton Hospital on September 2, less than a month later.

A post mortem examination revealed an enlarged spleen and congested lungs, but the major heart and vein arteries were undamaged. The cause of death was hyper-sensitivity to the penicillin prescribed by her dentist.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded by Coroner Simon Nelson.

He was told the 57-year-old former seamstress, who had been married and divorced twice, had lived in Horwich since she was 10 years old.

She visited her dentist, Alan Highton, at his shared practice in Winter Hey Lane, Horwich, on August 12.

The dentist diagnosed an infected tooth and prescribed penicillin after asking her if she had been treated with the drug before and whether she had an allergy to it.

Mrs Bothamley told the dentist she was not allergic to it and started the course of antibiotics.

But two days later, Philip Rushton, her close companion of 16 years, called the emergency doctor when she developed a rash on her eyes.

She was prescribed drugs and the doctor suggested throwing the original prescription of penicillin away.

By August 23, Mr Rushton became so concerned he called for an ambulance.

He told the inquest that Mrs Bothamley's face and neck were very swollen, her eyes were covered in blisters and she was extremely tired.

Mrs Bothamley was admitted to the hospital's assessment ward, but her condition deteriorated and she was moved to the high dependency unit, then intensive care, where she was placed on a ventilator.

Mr Rushton told the inquest he had met Mrs Bothamley when she worked as a care assistant by day and barmaid in the Black Bull in Belmont in the evenings.

Seven years into their relationship, she started to suffer problems with her eyesight and became blind.

She also suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and hyper-tension, but Mr Rushton told the inquest his friend remained very independent.

Mrs Bothamley gained considerable weight and found it difficult to diet because of a passion for cream cakes.

Dr Michael Beck, consultant dermatologist, examined Mrs Bothamley in the hospital and described the skin eruption as "an extraordinarily rare reaction".

He explained to the inquest that a number of factors could have caused it and it was possible to develop a violent reaction to a drug, despite being successfully treated with it in the past.

Simon Nelson, acting coroner for Greater Manchester West, said: "Perhaps her lack of sight meant she did not know the extent of her rash.

"No human control could have prevented what was an unfortunate incident."