A DEPRESSIVE doctor from Watford who was dreading an investigation into his potentially fatal heart condition killed himself by taking an overdose of medication, a court heard on Monday.

Dr Edmund Major was said to be enthusiastic about trying psychotherapy after a range of anti-depressant drugs proved unsuccessful in controlling his bouts of depression.

He died days before an appointment to be assessed for suitability for the treatment.

The 51-year-old pharmacognosist, an expert on plant and herbal medicine, was described as "kind, thoughtful, generous and amusing" by his partner Ms Jane Wilson.

His interests included cooking, eating, gardening and fishing.

A post mortem revealed he had 80 per cent narrowing of the arteries, which was placing severe pressure on his heart and could eventually have led to his death.

It also showed he had 11.37 mg of the betablocker drug, used to treat his heart condition, in his blood. A normal dose is 0.4 mg.

Dr Major had a history of suicide attempts. In September last year he "made a serious attempt on his life" but when he saw a doctor the following month he was found to be "relieved that he had been found and touched by concern from family and friends."

St Albans coroner Edward Thomas concluded: "It is important to recognise that he would not have died if he did not have a depressive illness.

"The tragedy was his heart condition. I think what is really sad is that Dr Borghini and his team were trying to see if they could break the cycle of depression. He had great worries about his health and it seemed they were justified in his post mortem."

He recorded a verdict that Dr Major killed himself while suffering a depressive illness.

May 1, 2003 16:30