The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-23 00:00:00

TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT.

NINTH DAY.
The preendior of this estreordinary and important trial
were rammed today stink o'clock.
The ease for the defence was proceeded with.
Mr. 1. B. Roes said—l am bonse•surgeoa to the London
Hospital. I remember a ere of tetonos being brought to
that institution in March last. The patient was brought to
the hospital, about hilt-put seven in the evening. He was
a man aged 37. He had had one parezysin in the receiving-
room ►efen I saw him, and I found him with a rapid,
feeble palm. Hie j►ws were closed and flsed, and there
was an e:premien of anxiety about the counte-
nance, and the features ware makes, and he was ta•
able to swallow. The snocles of the abdomen and back
were somewhat tense. After he had been is the ward about
tan minutes he had another attack, end hie body became
etched, and he optioned a short time is that state. He was
then quiet for a few minutes, when be had another attack
and died. The whole period of the attack in the hospital
was only half as hoar. Then was an inquest, and the
body was eaamined. No pen .n was found, but there were
tcree wooed, on the body, two in the back of the right el-
bow of the an, of a stilling, and one on tie left elbow of the
give, a sixpence. Thos patient told me that he had had
these wounds for twelve or sixteen yearn. They were old
chromic indurated ulcers, eircul or in outline, and with the
edges thiokoned and undermined, and covered with a white
coatiog, and without any granulation. I ant unable to say
what could ban produced the wounds, et what was their
otigle ; bat I have seen old syphilitic wounds on the legs
similar to them. The wounds I hove =manned were t►e
only cuss I could trace for this attack of tetanus.

By the Attorney-General—l was informed by the wife of
the patient that something had been applied to these wouads
a day or two before the patient was brought to the hospital,
and that she orjectert to the poultice that was ap-
plied. It was a linseed meal poultice that was
aphid to the SOM. The, jaws ware entirely flied when I
saw bins, and he was ut,tr.y usable to mallow. He told
me he was first attacked ate, ut e.ev a o'clack in the morn-
ing. There were symptoms t f rigidity &hist the abdomir al
and lumbar muscles. He dad net tell me how lam be had
felt thew lensattons. 'soother medical man, the perish
surdson, wee said to have seen him on the lame day, so that
he had no doubt suffered unia:sinem for some time before. I
have ao doubt that the disease bad been coming on fr ,m
the morning to the time I saw him. There were no signs
of heeling in the wounds, end they presented the appear-
ance of old neglected sores, and were very near the shear
. That is a very ren.itiva n
The Artorney-Cieneral—lt is connected with what we
all the " funny-bone," I believe ?
Witness—Rm.

Crost•examination continued—l beard that he had been
in paroxysms all the afternoon. There were no cmvsisions of
the legs and arms. The symptoms from which I infer that
the deceased died of tetanus, were the meanie opssine, the
lock jaw, the rigidity of the muscles of the back ao4 abde-
men, and the continued pate in the romsch. I did tot
hear the ominous, of the oesth of Mr. Co
By Mr. Grove—Tb• ezistemal of strychnine was suspected
la this ease.

By the Attorney-General—The irritation of the ulnae
nerve was very likely to be the occesion of teen...
By Mr. Grove—The nerve. of the tonne and throat ere
alto very delicate, as well al those of the lances. I heard
the case of lemons described by Mr. Gay. That was occa-
sioned by expooure to the cold, and was coosequeirly idio-
pathic. An injury to any delicate ould decidedly
be likely to cease tetanus.
Mr. R. Menton, examined by Mr. Oray—l am one of the
hones sargeons of the London Mcpttal, and I saw the case
Mr.ft ashes mentiosed,and I ogres with him in his deserip-
tion of the symptoms. I have to doubt that the man died
of teleran*, produced by the sores on the arms. The man
told Ise th.t the symptoms Arst came on at breskfast-inie.
Dr. Wright.. said—l was a pupil of Liebig, at Wee-
ms. lam • botcher of chemistry at • school at Birming-
ham, and have had considerable experience in cares if
1 poisoning; and I have been employed by the Crown
hy the parrots if detection in one case. My atten-
tion has been • soot deal directed to the subject
of strychnine, and I have found no difficulty
in detecting it, and consider it is easily de-
tected by the orinary test.. I have detected the strych-
nine pare and aka when it bat been mined wilt impure
matter. I have detected it in bilious matter and putrefy-
log blood. I have also found stiychnine in the tissue. of
the body, and I have found it in the silvers of a cat and
the blood of a dog poisoned by strychnine, and in the
urine of an-tter that was poi•oned by it. I am
of opinion that strychnine doe. not undergo de-
e .sop .sition in the act of poisoning. If it under.
wool such a change, I should then soy it would not be
',minis to discover it in the themes. It might, however.
possibly change into anooher substance, which might be Im-
mediately detected. Strychnine ems be detected in ex-
tremely minute quantities indeed. In tbe ease when I de-
tected strychnine in the dog, the quantity administered was
two grains. One grain was given to the second dog, and •
hell genii' was attempted to be administered to the
mat, but • considerable p itt'on of it was lost. Amus-
ing • men to have been poisoned by strychnine,
supposing the poison to have hien olsorlied into the system,
mould Gwen for it in the blond end ti-sacs of the body.
Re examined by Mr. Berjeant Bhei—Soptoiing a man to
be killed by strychnine administered to him an hour and a
half before he died, in sty jadgment the poison would cer-
tainly be deter wed in the quench. In such a case it mulct
not have been all absorbed, so as not t. be got nut of the
stomach ; if it were, however. I think we should find it in
the Moon, the liver, or the kidney.. It could alto be de-
.ected is the coats of the stomach. I cannot form any
opinion as to whether it was a considerable doss from the
fact of the man having died after one paroxysm.
By Baron Aldervon—l cannot tell how the poison seta
when It is taken ; at first I should fancy it inc. into the
blood, and then finds it. way somewhere else, but I cannot
tell whether it kills there or not.

Mr. Partridge examined by Mr. Grove, Q C.—l am in
privies as a surgeon, and am professor of anatomy
at King's College. I have heard the evidence in
this case es to the symptoms of Mr. Cook, and
also se to the post tr °rum examioation. I herd
the portion of the evidence relating to the elimin-
ation of the spine. In such a case I think it would be very
proper that the spine should be eltnely misused. I be.rd
the statement as to the granules in the spine, and believe
t, iv were such as would be likely to cause inflammation.
Nn douht such inflammation would have been discover-
able had the spine been examined short' rtes
death. Item:aimed sine weeks •fter death it would not be
likely to bediseovered. Such inflammation, if it exuded,
would bays been suffieient to rw..doce tetanic convulsions.
I have not seen such a ease, but such c a a are undoub,edly
on risoor.l. Inflammation of the arachnoid produces a die-
_
_
,vuleions. ae

ems salted maaniagilie, which causes co, . - and ulti-
mately ands in death. I coo' not f rta any opinion from
what I have bet rl as to the eaupe of death in Cook's cam. I
bare beard the ev.dentm as to the state of the contractions
after death, bat no coaelusiose can be safely drawn from
that.

Hy the Court—lf I ware told that after death the body
d oe the beck of the heed end the heel, I should infer
that death wee produced by !het form of tetanus which ends
in convulsive 'pesos of the muscles ef the back.
Eeemioatioa continued—The it,ntrectmos after death
whet TOSUltiell from OZlOrst COMOs very in
a:meet mil case, the contrectinne of the heeds
and fingers is tot onensaninn after 'mewl death.
The degree of arching if the feet, a described in this case,
seems to me to have been rant r Escr• thaw usual.

Creroetamined by the Attorney-Genet 111ciderstand
the granules wee' in toe inner surface of the fibrous mem-
brane of the 'pinta coral. These granules are rot common ;
they may etist coosiateetly with health. Arechnitts
roducing convulsions has never acme within my own
lin,wledge. It is • very ear- disease, but it. duratioi, m-
ending to the cars on record, has always varied. It has
Hy (trended over several days, and in moat case, the
patient has suffered from paralysis. The size piths granules
producing the disease has also varied; some have berm
smell, others large. After the lapse f time which took
place between the death end the exemieatioo, it is impos-
sible that the spinet oriel could have remained in it..
integrity. The disease I have referred to as affecting the
+pine' Me, may so on fir months. The 'met and dura-
tion of the c .nyuleions vary, bat I have never heard of •
case where the pas ient has dud aft., a simile conve's;on.
la all intervals between the convadatons, however, there
be,. been concomitant syseptltes, such as viol, et palsy arid
ipmPaun:
or me
I obeli:ell:a' These dI asgr Oa Mk 41.11ay0 ry reading,
continuous.dti not
:nest there eder. •
nt Thehoet
expect complete rero.e for twenty 'our hours
u occurred here' and tithing the whole caw, ea I have hued
it demented, I should certainly sty the patient did ant die
. from areeknitia. I have never known a cue of ordinary
tetanus where the bands have been completely clenched
after death. I have seen • case of traumatic tetanus
where the hands have been clenched. The arching of the
feet takes place in Wenn., but I h tr.) never a, en them
so distorted aa to *mire like • club foot. I have
heard it described that if the holy in this case had ban'
turned on its beck, it wee a bowed that it would have
rested on the back of the head and the h, el.. I Auld not
upset that in ordinary tetanus. My knowlelee of poison-
ing by strychnine is deriv-d only from reading. limm of the
symptoms in this eases are consistent sod others .re iecon-
'latent with ordinary Meow. The symptoms as described
by Mr Jan• a ere perfectly consistent with death by strychnla
poisoni have knowo elms of trauma is tetenna.The symptoms
acme on graduelly end steadily, andthe
e ts
althoughn,ui
convulsion.,
so. d
re may be
alight intermittent relesatioa or h
sever subsides. The ehoiteiv duration of the disease I hive
'movie has bun three or four days. It death resulted is
two hours, I should certainly infer that there had been pre-
moni.ory symp•onis. I have never kellee a we of idle-
panic or tularemia tetanus produce such symptoms as I
have beard described in this instance. I have never knows
each death produced by disease or natant causes.
Its-ssexemed by Mr. Orme—Tee symptoms exhibited
in the mullion of the earvule one and the sudden and
apparent complete recovery of the patient are wholly in-

consistent with tetanus frem strythnia. The beating of the
bed clothes and the absence of tremulous agitation ere other
symptom which I should not expect in • case of poironing.
I know there are cases where ittermiasions of the spasms
have occurred in traumatic titian', but I do not remember
any ease where death hes ahem place in twenty-einhtholar..
I have hued of cues wh, re death he, teetered in torty-eight
hours. The granules I have heard described Cr. I. and more
in young pee pie then old, hut I cannot tell whet' er they are
more indtc• me of disuse in young per.ple than old. I
know of no case when the 'pine has p d its integrity
for nine weeks alter death pose to recd., it perfectly fit for
examination. A.trbough I cannot tell frem the dtscribed
appearateta whether or no there was dimes., I will rot un-
dertake to say that there was no di.ease. Ido not, however,
think 'tin the least probable that the spine would remain in
its integrity fur nine weeks.
By the Coart—Supoosing the stomach were not acted
upon by other causes, I do not think sickhess would be in.
consistent with waste.
Mr. John Gay examined by Me. Gray—l am a Fellow of
the Royal C.l.epe of Burgeons. I have been sur-
geon to the Royal Free Havel, a, d while I filled
that poet I had • cam of traumatic tetanus under my ern
in • boy. He was eight years of age, and he yes brought
in while he was ill. He was brought in en the 28th July.
and died on the tad of August. He had met with an scci.
dent about • week before he was brought in. Daring the
8,,t three days after I saw him he had paroxysms of unusual
severity, sal he could rot rpen his mouth. There
was olio great pain and stiffness about the neck.
The first night he started up and was convulsed. The
fol 'wing night he was again convulsed. The muscles of
the neck and the aboomit al muscles, ann the lege and back,
became rigid. The mu,chs of the face were sli.o in a state
01 great cottraction. Oa the ft I owing day he Iris in the
same state ; tt at was the morning of the ti.ird day. At two
o'clock I observed much lea. rigidity of the muscle',
both in the neck and bark, end the following morning
the muscular rigidity had gone. Ile noticed his mouth sad
talked. At that per.od be was to!. r illy relieved. He
bad no return of tee proms until 'b ut half-p a five the
neat day. At that time he ailed the Curse to charge his
linen, and us she was going to assist him for that
purpose, violent convulsion, of the arms and face
came en, and he died in • few minutes. About
thirty boors elapsed between the preceding con-
relent's, and thou which terminated in death. The
pagoaysms before he died 010, lasted • few minutes, and at
that time the rigidity had been completely relaxed. I had
'ilea the patient tartar emetic, oontsitirg antimony, to
produce vomiting. I gave it him in small doses. I in
creased the dose on the second day, but they produced an
effect, and they were not repeated.
Cress-examined fry the Atturety General—ln this cue
a large stone had fail.n on else rottent's toe and completely
smashed it. The wound we' in a very bad state, and when
the boy came in the toe bad to be suiputated. The con-
vulsions came on during the nigh., end the ri.
gidity in the enumeles in the day. In the day-
time the me Cl,, of the neck, back, and abdomen
were rigid, and that continued throughout the two
day.. The rigidity of the muscles of the chest and
stomach would prevent sickness, arid to that I attribute the
circumstance of the medicine cot operating. The woman
sat him up in bed for the purpose of chengir g his linen, bat
I don't think that movement would have irritated the toe.
My impromion was that there must I are been tome action
of the spinal cord to cause the convulsions, sit up pethape
by the Irritation of the nerve., r cemi•osed by the wound in
the toe. I have nn douht the laceration of the toe was the
Immediate came debit disease.

Re ulansiced.—Tee must of these tetan is forms of cone
Tuisioos varier, and as the shames of any knowledge of
their real origin, I think ie wool.' be extr roily d ifitult to
myth, them to any particular c use.
Dr. Macdonald examined by Mr Kenealy—l am a HMI.
tide 01 the 11...yal Coliege of Physicians io Edinburgh, and
have been in practice tourteen ye :re. I have had during
that time prac:ical es well an theoretic.' motorise ce in cases
of idiopathic and traumatic tetanus. I have seen two tam
of idiopathic, and, in addition, I have made tetanus a sob.
jest of studious investigation. Tetenvs proceeds from
very slight reuses. Any internal alteration of is-
editions might produce idiopathic tetanus, or exposure to
cold or damp, mental or emu.' excitveneet would produce
it. The pr acme of gritty grannies in any port:on of the
body might ',reduce ti tare oll.liielolll., that in provided
they were on soy part r f the body connected with the ner-
vous strudel..., titter tree 'pine or the brain. I have seen
small depcsits nn the brain f • temorilc patient, and
these have been considered the probable muse of
der h. There are broadax dames for 'deltic convulsion@
which are alt. (Oiler undietern•ble by human science.
Meny post-mortem examications have been made in cum
of tetanus, and no trace cf disuse whatever could he dis-
covered beyond the cur gestion and 'secularity of some of the
vessels surrounding the server. Though the canto of teta-
nus is not always discoverable, strychnine is easily
so. I remember the care 01 Catherine Watson,
I was finitude enough to core her of Idiopathic
tetanus, end she is now here. [The 'Pitney" read the notes
which he made of the axe at the time it occurred. le
this case no caste curl,' be assigned for the donee ; the
symptoms were similar to time d. scribed in the other cases.]
la that WO there was lockjaw, which occurred about the
middle of the attack. In acute attacks of the d' lock-
jaw is g lly • later symptom. I have had a patient who
died of a tooltilsive attack of this kind. His came was
Copelacd. It must have hero a cue of idiopathic
tetanus.. Death took place in shoot two days.
I have examined many animal. with regent to the effects of
stryehnia poison, end nave Monad. te.tenscrteln examina-
tions genteelly to concur. The vessels of the brain were
generslly cor voiced, and in °Recast I haa itemorrhege from
'he unveil.. There wee also an eat .tion of
the blood in many
often cut through the anbaterce of the brain, and always
diens:red Remiss red points. I have Pend the lung%
either c Hayseed or cengestid, and the heart isvatiably filled
oaths right side, and very often on the left side. Tee liver
has been congested, and the kidney* and spleen generally
healthy. The vessels of the stomach were congested on the
oaten surface, and the mucous surface highly vascular, the
Tavel' teeing filled with red blood. I have found the vowels
of the *rind cord oaten congested. Prim eppearances on
post mortem cumin .bone you easy generally judge of the
cause of death. I have exrerimented en a greet
many cues, end observed strychnine. If you kill rs
animal with a grain of strychnine, you may
dimmer traces of it. You cloy discoed the fifty-theta
smith part of a grain. I rave dine so. I rev. r beard Dr.
Taylor's theory as to atrychnice adverted to by any one,
situ! I heard it in th's c .urt. In my op.nion there ie no
well.grounded reason for that theory. 1 have proved dot
contrary of that theory by numerous exnerinteote. I have
taken the blood of an animal plumed with two grainy,
*bout the least quantity whico would kill the animal,
and injected it into theist:o,olml cavity. fa smeller anima.
I have so destroyed them with all the geed me and pdt-
morem atimarende el orate by strychnine. Being
aeminirered in the fo m of pills, would nuke no difference,
I should thank, but if tee nuts wore hard. so as not to die-
rove !quickly, you miett find it more easily. Ido not agree
• with Dr. Taylor's opinion shout colour 'eating, as I think
it a reliable mode of secertaicing the pre.coce of
strychnia. ft eyehole cannot be unfounded with
pyr..zentiae. An icc-essed flow of saliva is
marked symptom of the administration of sem:di-
nts, and animals are very susceptible to the touch.
A stamp of the foot, a slight touch,. r • sharp w• rd, would
throw them into aanvulsi ins ; but the first spay-
' toms of poi‘on must be previously developed. It is
extremely imptobable that a man could pull • bell
violently if a d.ise had teen given ti him sufficient
to destroy life. I %eve heard the medical evidence
given in this cow. la' tech little importance to V.:Gimp.
'oms as a a e.ns of di• enoeie, be.aune y .te may have
the same symptoms de, loped (vim v, ry differ of causes.
Sly opinion se rho Case! of death in this case arose from
epileptic convul,one, with tvtanic c as. I ground
my opinion on the t oetemortem a: ',edged, being
no different in Cook's case, and neon the
supporitioo that • do., of strychnia sufficient to
destroy life in en • mos) sm r.uld not, so far an lam
awere,have required even an hour for it. ohm rttioo and fatal
result. The repose from 11. et ley to Tuasday night is con-
eistect with the re; p of an epileptic attack, as epi-
leptic 'figures v ry often occur about the same hours.
I thick that, ender the eireunietances of the case, either the
estedtement of tke rue, or exposure to wet and c old, might
operate to produce derh.
'l he mutt a j turned a few mis tree after two for refresh-
ment, re-usstendsg at hatepast, when the moat-exami-
nation of the niter," by tie A ti rot y-General eonimeneetis
[We "Lail continue our report in a latter editioo.]

We (Times) are requested to elate that the only
sister of the late Mr. 7 ien F•re.ns Co. .k i. Ptlll alive,
baying been married in November, IS:4, to Mr. E. Blade
ford, of Birnbaum, neer Coloterwoith.

A New York correspondent of the Inirpendanet
Beige gives the fallowing free portrait ct G •rant Walker:
Figure to yeuralf a man five tett high, of a very mesa
look, his heir alm'at red, innocent of both whiskers and
maustsche, with very high and prominent cheek boner, a
low forehead, and a molten looking eye Sa much for the
person. For its ornament, sometimes he wears a blue
cum but o:t-rcr a blouse f Nu, flannel; a black parr of
trousers, boots, a Kossu•h hat, a belt, and a 'word.
Without this sword y.O ser std think him the mast insgtni•
leant fellow in the world—a little grocer probably, belong.
log V) the worst parts of N-w Yerlt. It is said that he hoe
tried Vire. I.ol•FlliOnithe bar, medicine, and divinity—
and has fail- d in all. pa tirans declare that he speaks
French, English, and S?►nish, hot it is doubtful whether he
thoroughly kno vs one of these languages. His br ther who
is with him, arid who is nutted out of a comedy—Norval
Walker—is a terrible drunkard, ant the greatest braggart
to the world."

A let'er from St. Petersburg eye :—" A ukase.
hived MIRO years age., forbiddiest Jews of the Eastern go-
Veromanta to weer robes descrandieg lower they the kLIII4
mad women to wear false hair in addi'on to their own,
Is
being canted out with yew ramer. The governors of the
proricces of Wilaa, Kowoo, Oro lno, sod Minsk, have, in
particular, enjoined the Leal autherttit s to 140 strictly to
the caseation of the ukase."