The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-01 00:00:00

CHARGE OF POISONING AGAINST A

HBRBALIST.

An inquest was resumed on Saturday at Albury, on
Mary Ann Perish, aged 19. The deceased had been auffe--
um fur twelve years front a tumour un the right shoattler
blade, and having failed in getting cured by several mei"cal
gentlemen, went in March last to Mr. Chamberlain, a
botanical practitioner and herbalist, residing at Hertford,
who has practised for the last thirty years in the surround-
ing district. Mr. Chamberlain gave her a box of dark
brown ointment end a box of pills, impressing upon her
that the was to use a very small piece of the ointment at a
time. The deceased applied the ointment twice or three times
a day for a fortnight, when she became very ill, and M-.
Pope, a surgeon, of Tring, was sent for, who also prescribed
for the deceased, but she became worse, and died three days
afterwards. She had used about a box and a half of the
ointment prescribed by Mr. Chamberlain. Mr. Pope upon
being examined stated that he had given the deceased pills
aontainqur each one grain of calomel and a quarter of a
grain of opium. He had also given her a mixture contain-
ing carbonate of ammonia, ch'orie tether, tincture of
1 catechu, and laudanum. When he first saw her she was
suffering from sickness and diarrheas. Professor Taror
deposed that on the 14th instant he received from
the coroner three boxes, two of which contained ointment,
' and one pills, for analysis. One of the boxes contained
' a common red ointment mixed with red perodide of
mercury. It acted as an irritant when applied to the
skin, and if used for any length of time would produce
salivation and other symptoms of chronic poisoning by
mercury. It was a very useful ointment when properly
employed, one of its specifics being to remove tumours by
absorption. The second box contained a dark brown oint-
ment, of which arsenic was the only mineral ingredient.
From the examination of a piece weighing 19 grains, he
obtained two grains and a quarter of arsenic. There was
no ointment like it recognised in medical practice. It was
a very potent compound of arsenic, and if applied fre-
quently to the skin in a broken or iseased condition, the
arsenic would be absorbed into the blood, and cause symp-
toms of chronic poisoning and death. The pills contained
sulphate of antimony, calomel, gum gusiacum, and Venice
turpentine. They were a very proper medicine for the
treatment of skin disease ; the pink ointment was also a
very proper thing to use. Taking the symptoms and ag.
peamnce of the deceased as described, and the fact of his
having discovered arsenic in the brown ointme-it, and
that it had been applied by the deceased to the tumour,
he was of opinion that her death had been caused by the
absorption of arsenic. Arsenic was now used aa an internal
medicine. It was formerly used for cancer and other sk'n
diseases ; but it so frequently destroyed life, that the es.-
terns' use had been andoned by regular medical prac-
titioners. Sir Astley Cooper used it extensively, as 11 ell as
many eminent French surgeons. The amount abeoroed
would entirely depend upon the quantity applied, the fre-
quency of the application, and the state of the skin.
Taking into consideration the delicate state of the de-
ceased's health, the arsenic would necessarily act snore
readily. The jury returned a verdict of snawilaugh'er
against Isaac Chamberlain. The warrant for oommittei
was made out, but the coroner accepted bail for the ap-
' pearance of the accused in 2001., and one surety in 1001.

TEE COST OF ERE ELECTION COMNISSIONS.—The
salaries payable in connexion with each of the election
commissions amount to about 201. per day. Shot handing
in connexion with each commission costs also about 18i.
per day, and allowances to witnesses and miscellaneous ex-
penses amount to at least 5/. per day more. Altogether
the cost of each commission may be set down at about 431.
per day, perhaps. 501. per day would be nearer the mark.
As each commission will probably sit about iisq days, the
aggregate cost of each will approach 2,500/. making
O altogether for the four commissions—Observer.
REPRESENTATION OE EAST NORFOLK. The
announcement made that Lord Bury proposes to offer
himself as a liberal candidate for East Norfolk at the
impending dissolution—it being next to impossible that
ministers can side over next year without an appeal to the
oountry—has proved strictly correct. It is now distinctly
understood that the noble lord will solicit the suffrages of
the electors ; hie father, the present Earl of Albemarle,
was returned for the constituency some 30 years since. It
may also be added that the liberal party hes resolved to
, contest both seats against the present sitting conservative
members, Mr. E. Howes, M.P., and Mr. C. S. Read,
DLP. The second liberal candidate will be Mr. Edmond
Wodehouse, son of Sir P. E. Wodebouse, governor of the
Cape Colony, sad who was for some time private secretary
to the late Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Kim-
berley.
REPRESENTATION OF COLCRESTER.—It is an-
nounced that Mr. T. J. Miller, M.P., will not again
offer himself es a candidate for ilchester, and that the
I present session will close his parliamentary career. Mr.
Miller has represented Colchester for nearly 10 Teen,
baying been find returned for the borough in the spring of
, 1857 ; his retirement is attributed to infirm health.
Negotiations have been opened with two gentlemen who
are stated to be willing to offer themselves as candidates
for the town in the conservative interest. From 1859 to
1865 the conservatives held both seats, but at the general
I election leet'yeeir the liberals succeeded in returning Mr.
'J. Ourdon Relay in the room of Mr. P. O. Papillon. At
the next general election the conservatives will make a
great effort to recover their lost ground.
• ROYAL Pau HOSPITAL GRAT'S-IWN-ROAD

The number of patients relieved 'at this hospital daring the
week ending Sept. 29 wee 3,192, of which 1,098 ware nine