The Press. — London, England, 1856-05-24 00:00:00

MAY 24, 1856. a report of the steps taken i since the first prelimi nary meeting, from which t appeared that 82,000/. are already guaranteed by subscription, that her Majesty and Prince Albert have promised their pa vonage to the scheme, and that, from various esti ra i ces of contractors, a permanent building, capable of holding 20,000 persons, could be erected in six walls under a total expenditure of 40,0001. Re solutions, approving the report and determining upon ar exhibition in Manchester next year of art trea sures, were proposed and unanimously adopted, and an executive committee at once appointed. THE INHABITANTS OF GRAVESEND and its neigh b mrhood, on Wednesday, presented to W. F. Dobson, E sq ., who has filled the office of mayor of that b wough for the last two years, a magnificent silver o ndelabrum, and to MIS. Dobson a portrait of her husband, painted by Brigstock. The presentation t)ok place at a dinner of the subscribers at Wate's Hotel, the Right Hon. the Earl of Darnley in the chair, supported by W. Masters Smith, Esq., N.P. for the county, the clergy of the town, the mayor, and about liio of the leading gentlemen of tie town and neighbourhood. pitu nnb Volta. _ - THE RUGELEY POISONINGS.-TRIAL OF W. PALMER. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.-SATUEDAY. THE trial was resumed on the above day, when the first witness examined, George Bates, deposed to having been employed generally by Palmer in his stables. The valuable brood mares in the paddock were often hunted by dogs, and much distressed. On the Bth of December, during the inquest on Cook, he delivered a letter and addressed a basket of game to Mr. Ward, the coroner. Mr. Carling, surgeon to the London Hospital, de scribed the symptoms of tetanus. There were two kinds of true tetanus, —"idiopathic," or self generated, arising from exposure to cold or damp, and "trau matic," arising from wound or sores. He had only seen traumatic tetanus. Death from that cause varied from eight or ten to twenty-four hours to four days, or longer. Paroxysms occur, during which the muscles of the hack aru extensively affected, suffoca tion may ensue, and lockjaw is an early symptom. He knew of no instance of tetanus arising from a syphilitic sore. He did not think that symptoms of either idiopathic or traumatic tetanus were present in Cook's case. Epileptic spasms were not tetanic, and between convulsions and tetanus there was always this easy distinction, that in the first there was an entire loss of consciousness, while in tetanus the consciousness was never affected. Dr. Todd coincided with Mr. Curling's distinction between idiopathic and traumatic tetanus. In his opinion, Cook's death could not be referred to either apoplexy or epilepsy. Sir Benjamin Brodie bad, in the course of his practice, treated many cases of tetanus. He never knew tetanus result from any syphilitic disease, and did not believe that the death of Mr. Cook arose from either idiopathic or traumatic tetanus. Neither were Cook's symptoms the result of either apoplexy or epilepsy. "I had better say at once," continued the worthy baronet, "that T. never saw a case in which the symptoms I have heard described here arose from any disease." Dr. Daniels, Mr. Samuel Solly, and Mr. Lee, sur geon to the Lock Hospital, quite agreed with the opinions expressed by Sir Benjamin Brodie. Dr. Corbett detailed the case of Agnes French, who died in the Glasgow Infirmary, September 27, 1845, from taking two strychnine pills a quarter of a grain each prepared for a paralytic patient. The symptoms were these : There was a strong retraction of the mouth; the face was much suffused and red ; the pupils of the eye were dilated ; the head was bent hack; the spine was curved; and the muscles were rigid and hard like a board; the arms were stretched out; the hands were clenched ; and there were very severe paroxysms recurring every few seconds. She died in sbuut an hour and a quarter after taking the pills. Dr. Watson and Mary Kelly, a patient at that time in the Glasgow Infirmary, corroborated Dr. Corbett's evidence. Caroline Hickson, lady's-maid to Mrs. Sargeantson Smith, detailed the circumstances connected with that lady's death at Romsey, in October, 1848, from taking a powerful dose of strychnine accidentally administered to her through the inadvertence of the local chemist in making up the medicine. Shortly after taking the draught witness was rung up to Mrs. Smith's room : She was lying on the floor. She screamed loudly, and her teeth were clenched. She asked to have her arms and legs held straight. I took hold of her arms and legs, which were very much drawn up. She still screamed, and ,SV e a II great agony. She requested that water should throir# over her, ;tad J threw some. ITer feet were, ... ~ • .. y THE PRESS. turned inwards. I put a bottle of hot water to her feet, but that did not relax them. Shortly before She died she said sbe felt easier. The last words she uttered were— " Turn me over." We did turn ber over on the floor. She died a very few minutes after she had spoken those words. She died very quietly. She was quite conscious, and knew me during the whole time. About an hour and a quarter elapsed from the time I gave her the medicine till she died. Witness further stated that the paroxysms were continually recurring, and that the deceased remained stiff all the time until within a few minutes of her death. Mr. Francis Taylor attended Mrs. Smith : I was summoned to her house one morning soon after three, and when I arrived I found her dead. The body was on the floor near the bed. The hands were very much bent. The feet were contracted and turned inwards. The soles of the feet were hollowed up, and the toes contracted, apparently from recent spasmodic action. The inner edge of each foot was tinned up. There was a remarkable rigidity about the limbs. By Lord CAMPBELL: The body was warm. Examination continued : The eyelids were almost ad herent to the eyeballs. The druggist who made up the prescription was named Jones. I made a post-mortem examination three days after the death. The contraction of the feet continued, but it had gone off somewhat from the rest of the body. I found no trace of disease in the body. The heart was contracted and perfectly empty, as were all the large arteries leading from it. I analysed the medicines she had taken with another medical man, It contained a large quantity of strychnine. It originally contained nine grains, and she had taken one third—three grains. I made a very casual examination of the stomach and bowels, as we had plenty of proof that poison had been taken without making use of tests. The ancles were tied by a bandage to keep them together. Mr. Morley, surgeon, detailed thef symptoms of a lady supposed to have been recently poisoned strychnine. No name was mentioned, but the case was readily recognisable as that of Mrs. Dove. The symptoms were similar to those described as ex perienced by Cook. Upon the post-mortem ex amination strychnine was discovered in the sto mach, and administered, atter separation by che mical analysis, t, rabbits, mice, and a guinea-pig. The symptoms experienced by these animals were more or less characteristic of strychnine—namely, general uneasiness, difficult breathing, convulsions of a tetanic kind, muscular rigidity, arching backwards of the head and neck, violent stretching cut of the legs, and death. In reply to the question as to how strychnine acted, Mr. Morley said that he thought it acted upon the nerves, but a part might I,e taken into the blood and act through the blood. That which was absorbed would destroy life, but be believed that a part might be absorbed and a part remain in the stomach unchanged. Mr. Edward Moore stated the case of a Mr. Clutterbuck, suffering in 1848 from paralysis, and taking strychnine as a remedy. On one occasion he took an overdose, and suffered similar symptoms to Cook, for three hours. He desired to be " turned over " and rubbed, was stiff in every limb, and snapped at the spoon when a sedative was adminis tered. He survived the attack. As the next witness was Dr. Taylor, whose examination would be lengthened, the court rose. 3IONDAY. The examination of Dr. Alfred Swaine Taylor was proceeded with. Dr. Taylor stated the nature of the operation of strychnine to be immediate absorption into the blood, then circulation through the body, and action upon the spinal cord. With animals poisoned by strychnine there was first a quivering muscular mo tion, arising from the poison producing violent and involuntary contraction, then a sudden paroxysm, fore and hind legs stretched cut, head and tail drawn hack and bowed, jaws spasmodically closed, eyes prominent, after a short time a remission of the symptoms, but the slightest noise or touch repro duced another convulsive paroxysm, and under a succession of such flts the animal died, in times varying from thirteen to twenty-three minutes. From the description given of Cook's attacks, the symptoms and appearances were the same as those he observed in animals to which he had administered strychnine ; but in his analysis of Cook's intestines he failed to discover traces of any poison but antimony. Strychnia, when given in small doses, became absorbed into the blood, and was not dis coverable in the stomach. A small quantity could not be discovered, but with a large dose there was a retention of that in excess of the quantity required for the destruction of life. Dr. Taylor further stated that the conduct of the analysis in Cook's case took place under the most unfavorable circum stances, from the stomach and intestines having been cut through and mixed together. He thought Cook's symptoms precisely similar to those of Mrs. Smith, Agnes French, and others, and he knew no cause within the range of human disease to which he could refer Cook's symptoms except to strychnine. Dr. Taylor was then subjected to a most searching and severe cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant SHEE, with the view to prove to the court that Dr. Taylor had at first expressed an opinion that Cook had died 0 • from the effects of antimony. A letter from Dr; Taylor to Mr. Gardner, dated December 4th, was read, in which Dr. Taylor stated that he and Dr. Rees, having found no traces of strychnine, prus:ie acid, or opium, in conducting Cook's analysis, and having found traces of antimony, were of opinion that Cook had died of the effects of antimony. Dr. Taylor distinctly reiterated the statement that. from the traces discovered in Cook's body, he was justified in saying that Cook had diedfrom antimony. The witness was then questioned concerning a cer tain letter he had written to the Lancet, and in which he had said, relative to Cook's and Mr. Palmer's case : The mode in which they will affect the person accused is of minor importance compared with their probable ir,- fluence on society. I have no hesitation in saying th. t the future security of life in this country will mainly de pend on the judge, the jury, and the counsel who may ha% e to dispose of the charges of murder which have arisen out of these investigations. He admitted having written the letter, and thought he was justified as a medical man in publish ing that letter before the trial of the accused. Dr. Taylor was also examined with reference to a certain statement which appeared in the Illustrated Times, shortly after the analysis in Cook's case. Dr. Taylor characterised the publication of that article in the Illustrated Times as the greatest and most discraceful deception ever practised upon a medical man. Inforination had been extracted from him under cover of a letter of introduction from Professor Faraday. He had remonstrated with Mr. Mayhew and objected to the publication, but could not prevent it. He bad never used any such ex pression as that " Palmer should have strychnia enough before he had done with him." In answer to further questions, Dr. Taylor stated that he knew no case of poisoning by strychnia in which the patient screamed before he was seized, nor spoke freely after the paroxysms had commenced ; neither could he mention any case in which there was a repetition of the paroxysms after so long an interval as from Monday to Tuesday night, which occurred in Cook's case. Dr. Rees corroborated Dr. Taylor's evidence as to the discovery of antimony and their failure to find strychnia in Ca k's analyses. Professor Brande was present at one analysis in Cook's case. The deposit discovered he could posi tively state was antimony. Professor Christison was of opinion that strychnis administered in the form of a pill would be retarded in its operation, especially if mixed with any of those resinous materials used by medical men for the purpose of making ordinary pills. Absorption in such a case would not commence until the pill was broken down by the process of digestion. From the evidence he had beard of Cook's symptoms he could conclude that they were attributable only to strych nia or four poisons containing it. The trial was then adjourned. TUESDAY. The examination of witnesses was resumed. The first two witnesses (Daniel Burgen and John Espin) ex amined this day were connected with sealing up Pal mer's papers after his arrest upon the verdict of the coroner's jury in Cook's case. Neither of them, in examining the papers, had discovered any cheque on Messrs. Wetherby purporting to bear the signature of Cook, nor any similar paper to that mentioned by Cheshire, the Rugeley postmaster, as having been offered to him for attestation by Palmer. Dr. Bamford was then examined, and deposed to having prepared morphine pills for Cook on Satur day, Sunday, and Monday. He never saw Cook take the pills. Early on Tuesday morning he met Palmer, who requested him not to disturb Cook. Between twelve and one p.m., as he was again going to see Cook, he met Palmer, who begged him &second time not to disturb Cook. At seven p.m. he saw Cook before Jones and Palmer : Palmer said he rather wished Cook to have his pills again, and that he would walk up with me for them. He did so, and stood by while I prepared them in my surgery. I had strychnia in a cupboard in my own private room. I put the pills in a box, and addressed it, " Night pills. John Parsons Cook, Esq " I wrote that direction on all the four nights. On the Tuesday night Palmer requested that I would put on a direction. After that I did not again see Cook alive. Palmer took away the pills between seven and eight o'clock. I had wrapped the box up in paper y and had sealed it. Mr. Pratt, solicitor, of Queen-street, May-fair, was then examined, and detailed at length the various transactions he had carried on with Palmer. The witness produced bills to the amount on 28th November, 1850. He in August, at Palmer's request, due December 2, for Cook, with and a wine warrant for 651., taking Polestar and Sirius as security. cash to Palmer in the same 1 transaction. lie deposed also ment of 3001. on th,e 10th of the 19th, 450/. through Mr. by clugue frp* 14. Esher nount of 12,5001. du, acknowledged having cashed a bill of 5001,, th a cheque for 37bi, king a bill of sale owl ty. He sent 3001. in letter on a separate io to Palmer's pay- ' November, bOL on Herring, and .120#, 9 11 P 4iie