The Express.
London, England, 1863-05-21 00:00:00

THE ADMINISTRATION OP CHLOROPOIhIf Ire
Jarrow COLLEGE HOSPITAL.
•--
A. protracted inquiry was held in the lecture
theatre of King's College Hospital, last night, by at
Clair Bedfoorrdd, the Westminster coroner, respectiog the
death of Mr. John Henry Lawrence, aged 26 years,
Mr. Hubert Wood, of the firm of Ring end Wood,
attended on behalf of the family of the demised. The
theatre was crowded by gentlemen of the medical pogo.
des.
Mr. Joseph Lawman end that dammed was late t dart
in the insethy of an army agent. He sulfated Gm
Mole. Oi &Medal last an °Warm was to have
bees performed ea him in the hospitel Chloroform cos
administered to him and he died under its edema
chloroform was administered against his owe equend
wishes mad thus of ell his friends. Hs was of ea excited,
temperament, and be had iuformed wittier and Hues] oho
o.BsBeat Mr. H. Smith, one of the &limited earposo,
exaalaid him and told him that be had disease of ths
heart. Besides, in the bsgmoing of Mara elikethana bast
been administered, and deceased stated that be would seer
allow it to be Pren to him again. Winton was inbreed
that up to Pel&y Eight be was constantly
the administration id the chloroform, and if=thr Wiest
indean to
lake it, it was, witness believed, became be was everee
waded. The dodoes who administered the eldecoroi,,
had sot made any previous esaminetion for dames
of the heart or loop. Witness had elm to cempigh
ofpial the manner in which the authorities of the es-
bad made the post-mortem surninstim,
the raped sad directions of the family. Co att.
day amain( witness called at the hospital sad km
matcher, the hall porter, that he forbade a podia:ete
ezennertion. He then went to the amasser, asst acs
as order far Mr. Roberts, a disinterested sorges, ta
make the post-mortem examination in the presses of
the hospital doctors, sad the semetaly of the hasping Too
made acquainted with that arrangement, and be mid cast
he would communicate the order to Mr. Roberta. Ti..t,
however, was not dons, sad on Monday witness hard tint
the heePtai doctors bad nude the examinees.
Mr. Chula Lawrence, 31, Duke-street, said the the
raison deemed was so much opposed to the ablorefona
being administered was the effect produced lime hire m
the previous occasion. He was excessively num& sad
said he would not permit it to be given to him again on soy
account.
The secretary of the hospital mid the order was sot for-
warded to Mr. Roberta, entirely through a mistake. It war
aceidentally loft upon his desk until it was too late.
The Coroner said that the reason be bed given the order
was that the court might have the evideoes of a perfectly
disinterested party in the matter. It was mach to be re-
gretted that tWy had not such evidence.
Mr. Wm. Ferguson, surgeon to the hospital, said that
deemed entered the hospital bet week, redwing from a
fistula. Finding that a severe operation would in neces-
sary, Uses advised that chloroform should be *I
deleh‘ai readily consented. To w 'tams' knowleip he
never protested against it. He ludujiidertnns sa owed=
eider chloroform before. On Saturday an experinced
student administered in witness's presence a drachm sad •
hell of chloroform. Four, six, end even eight defaults are
sometimes need. Demised became Mos• rent sad am
valved, as sometimes happens. He was allowed to breathe,
and the anesthetic was spin applied. He thea owed to
breathe. Electricity and other remedies were Nom*
appliel for baton-hour, without avail. On the menses
mance witness did not notice any extraordinary or mond
Byßy Mr. Wood—Deceased did not appear to be seness w
excitable. He was in delicate health, but had latterly in.
proved. Witness did not examine the deemed premonly
for disease of the heart or loop. In private Cow it aim
10111•412111111=7•1 to do so. It might be dangerous to kid-
sinter chloroform in disease of the heart; but he did Dot
anticipate such • disease is • man so young. From 3,000 to
5,000 chloroform cams had been under witness's notice, sad
the pelmet was the only fatal cue. More poems died boa
the shock of pain than from the anesthetic.
Dr. A. J. Pollock, 21, Montague-place, Rosedlunne,
said that he made the post-mortem examinations at the hoe.
pital. He was not informed that • postmortem enzein.
anon should sot be made by him in this case. The pm
marten examination of the deceased showed that he had
disease of the heart and left lung. Witness could not en
any comae of death and would know of none if he had sot
beard of the administration of the chloroform. The post-
mortem examination was made in the usual coarse of wit-
ness's duties. He was not aware that the friends had pro-
tested against it.
The Coroner said that at another hospital several cum.
plaints had been made to him about the way in which bodies
bad been opened without the consent of the relatives. Many
women had told him that they disliked to take their chil-
dren to the hospitals became the doctors would botcher
them if they died. It should be remembered that hospitals
were instituted for the relief of the sick, sad their chief ob-
ject was not the advancement of science.
Witness said that the object of • post-mortem examine.
tiou wee to gain knowledge heaths dead to assist the lie*.
The only return a person could make was the knowledge
that could be acquired from his case for the assistance of
others, and that was so well understood that pat-mortem
examinations were seldom objected to.
Mr. Henry Smith hare entered the court ; and after he
bad been for some time engaged in • whispered convexi-
ties with • medial gentleman present,
The Coroner said shat he was sorry to observe that on-
vermin.. He regretted that he bad not stopped it at
fine He tended that the gentleman had not been indu•
most enough to communicate to Mr. Smith the object of
his examination.
Mr. Smith—Certainly not.
Ooreuer—lf he had, Mr. Smith's evidence would have
Ism weight with the jury.
Mr. H. Smith, 16, Caroliewstreet, Bedford-square, said
that he saw deemed last Saturday, bat never before. Be
bed certainly MOM ssid to him that be had disease of the
heart. He bad so recollection of ever having examined de.
ceased. Then was another Mr. Smith, • house surgeon.
Mr. Charles Lawrence said that it was eaten Mr. H.
Smith was the gentleman meant because deceased had
described him.
After some further evidence the Coroner summed op,
end left it to the jury to decide whether the chloroform
bad been properly or improperly administered.
The jury, after NOM deliberation, returned a verdict of
" Death from chloroform properly administered."
The verdict was received with loud applause.
The proceedings then terminated.

EXTRAORDINARY PLEA OP ALEMPTION PROM
maemzrr TO SERVE ON A JURY.

At • coroner's court, bold before Mr. H. Raffles
Waltbew, the deputy-cormier for Middlesex, at the Wel-
Wigton iavern, Cannoo-street-rosd, last evening, a siognlar
plea of exemption from serving on the jury was madeloy a
Kr. Willis, a tradesman, who was summoned as a juryman.
Mr. Willis said that he should decline to be sworn, as he
did believe in 'a state of punishment or reward; here-
after. He handed in the following letter, whirr' he canoed
to be read to the wart :

" TO THE CORONER
" Sir, —I do not believe in • future state of reward or
Punishment. The law says that I am, on that account,
incompetent to make oath. Aocordiogly I bog to decline
being sworn as a jarymao.—(Signed) Wuddax \Vitus, 70,
Bt. George-etreet. E."
The Coroner said that he would dispense, without regret,
with the attendance of such • man. If be really held such
opinions be wu very unfortunate, but to come into that
to irk sod merely to obtain exemption from sitting on the
try to make such an unblushing and deliberate avowal el
them, was not wily unnecesaary but improper.
Mr. Willis—l think your remarks are quite uncalled for.
The law renders impure holding those sentiments which I
have stated incompetent to take an oath, therefore you
cannot swear roe, and there is nothing more to be said,
the law etude.
The Coroner said that be could not permit so ostenta-
tious end needless a parade of such sentiments to be made
for such a purpose to pass without rebuke.
Mr. Willis having attempted several times to argue iu
defence of his peculiar views, was ultimately told to let.oe
the oourt, which he did, and the case to be inquired into ins
proceeded with.

Rr.rawasrarioN or ma CITY. —An yet we bear
of no definite anciouoosenent of candidates for the vacant
seat in the City. Names, it is true, are mentioned, on both
the cosservative and liberal side of politica ; bet menu
has yet assumed a tangible shape. Among the candidates
mentioned by the Express as being put forward by the
liberal party, is Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence. If
that gentleman's official position of Sheriff of London sal
Middlesex be compatible with his occupying a meat in the
legislature, we have no hesitation in saying that be would
be, in the °Whiney phraseology employed at these nominal,
" a fit and proper person to represent the city of London
parliament." Mr. Alderman .red Sheriff !Aerosol, is it mss
of great talent, of varied intelligence, of thoroughly liberal
prieeiples, and as eloquent and accomplished speaker. fie
recast address is favour of Poland, at the Guildhall, was
regarded by all present as as eminently able speech. It
mediae:od a deep impression on the net amemblage peewit.
—Meriting Advertiser.
Tli I ATTORNEY-GENERAL roc IRELAND.-.—TRALEK,
XOYDAY. MAY 18.—Our new member, the AttorserGetr
rat, left Train at a late hour laid evening. The right bor.
tlman spot Saturday in visiting his coestitueel-.
Through the whole borough he was received with delight
by all, his popularity being unbounded. On Sunday he
visited our religious and charitable isstitutions, and left fa
Killareey in an open carriage about half-put eight o'cloef•
Our bishop, the Most Rey. Dr. Moriarty, occupied a wet it
the Attoreey.Geterars carriage, and accompanied him to
Killarney. The streets were densely crowded, sod the
people cheered enthusiastically over and over again. the
Aht0108)-Genets1 bowing to acknowledge their cheers se
t=2l:ted on him to the outakirta of the town. A girl
f of joy and triumph prevails amongst the community
from result of the election.—Feenton'a Jouraal.
mill
Tp.iimv TZRII. —To-morrow Trinity terni
0111121111150 e, and considerable business is pending in the
amnion law courts. The arrears number as many as
rules, of whkh 114 are is the Queen's Bench ; nearly 60 are
riles for sew trials. In the three court' the rules for lee
trials used 100.
THICILMICIMY VACATION.—The Chancery office'
re-opened to-day on the termination of what is celled the
Whitsun vacation.