The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-05-23 00:00:00

medical treatment. The other case was precisely similar ,
one-sixth of a grain had been taken. I have experimented
upon upwards of sixty animals, dogs, cats, rats, mice,
guinea pigs, rabbits, flogs, and toads. The general ap-
pearance has been a great resemblance in all the cases ; some
bore a lesser dose than otters. Generally speaking, about
two minutes to twenty, but more frequently five or six
minutes, elapsed from the 'injection of the poison to
the effects becoming apparent. The poison was
in some cases given in a solution ; in other instances
in a solid state. I have placed it dry on the
back part of the tongue. When administered in a fluid
state it has been poured down the animal's throat, and in
other cases it has been mixed with butter, suet, and meat ;
in some cases I have rolled, it in a portion of the gut of an
animal. In frogs and toads they have been placed in a
solution of the poison, and I have also applied it direct to
the spinal cord and the brain. The first 'symptom were a
desire to be still, hurried breathing, and then snapping at
the mouth, when the poison had been given at the mouth.
Twitching of the ears, a trembling of the muscles, inability
to walk, and convulsions of all the muscles of the body
followed. The jaws Were generally closed derine the
convulsions. Convulsion was followed by a total want
of power in the muscles, which, on the least touch,
were thrown into violent spasms, with a galvanic-like
shock running through 'the frame. Spasms came on
if the animals were touched or attempted to move. Oen-
tfonally the animal is able to move, and the sPasms come on
at various periods. The animal dies at different times ;
about three hours and a half is the longest period I have
known t ) occur bifore death took place. In cases where
the animal lives for a length of time spasms occur at frequent
intervals. In every case before death the rigidity erases,
without a single exception. The muscles are quite soft and
flaccid, and the limbs may be put in any position whatever.
The death stiffness Comes on at various periods. There is
very little difference in the stiffness produced by,
strychnia, Compared with other poisons. The symp-
toms which I refer to occurred in the order I
Bas well as editorial remark's. have mentioned before the convulsions came on. I
lbws' be incidentally mentioned, as reference was have known an interval of half an hour between the
-de to the press, that on coming into paroxysms in the animal. I found the heart invariably
"---*Pant Shee thanked the full on the right side, and very generally the left verticle
eeee and ability firmly contracted, and the blood usually dark and fluid.
• There is no particular appearance attached to the spine. I
have experimented largely with poison producing sudden
death on animals, and I have written on the subject. In
the case of sudden death of an animal by poison the blood
is often fluid after death, but not generally, and it happens
also in sudden death from ether causes. The symptoms of
Mr. Cook on Sunday night, I attribute to great excitement;
and taking the symptoms as described on Sunday, Monday,
and Tuesday, they do not resemble the symptoms I have
seen produced by strychnine poison. He had more power
or voluntary motion—such as sitting up in bed, moving his
hands about freely, swallowing, talking, asking to be rubbed
and moved, and also the sudden occasion of the convulsions,
and the length of the time which occurred from the taking
of the pills supposed to contain strychnine before the
symptoms occurred, were greater than any I have known
from my experience. I have never seen an animal vomit
after taking strychnine nor scream voluntarily. Where
there was so much spasm there would be inability to vomit.
.Emetics in such cases have been given without effect. The
past mortem examination of Cook differed materially from
those I have made of deaths resulting from strychnine—the
heart, it was stated, was empty and uncontracted.
Lord Campbell : I understand the evidence was " empty
and contracted."
Baron Alderson : I have it down "the heart was empty
and contracted.
Examination continued: The state of the lungs and
brain appeared to be different from not being congested.
The subsidence of the paroxysm its my experience have
been gradual. I have experimented on bodies of various
animals at various periods after death, and when decom-
position has set in, up to the 43rd day, to discover strych-
nia. I have never failed to discover it where I have
known the animal had died from it. I have experimente
in 15 cases at least. If the person bad died in the first
paroxysm after the administration of strychnia, and the
stomach to have been taken out the sixth day after death
and analysed, in my opinion strychnine must have been
found had the proper tests been applied. The witness
then stated the process of separating the parts by
evaporation, when strychnine would be found crystalised,
and in a state for applying the tests. If it be the common
commercial strychnine, such as is generally kept by sur-
geons and chemists, nitric acid would be one test. It.
would produce a red colour, which in a great measure
disappears on the addition of protochloride of tin. If the
strychnine be pure, it does not undergo any change on the
addition of sulphuric acid, but on the addition of a mix-
ture of bi-chromate of potash and several others a beauti
ful purple colour is produced, which changes to various
shades till it got to a dirty red colour. There are several
other tests that will produce strychnine. In my judg-
trent the contents of Cook's stomach were in a favour-
able condition to produce strychnia by analysis. it it
had been there—it would have given a little extra
trouble, but it would not have affected the result, and the
same applied to the liver, kidneys, and spleen subsequently
sent up for examination and analysis. in the various
experiments 1 have made on animals, I have seen a cor-
responding amount of styrcnnia Sound in the body of the
analysers, and I have seen them detect it in the blood.
I have seen it done by Mr. Herapath, of Bristol. It is
not my opinion that the analysis might be defeated or
confused by the existence in the stomach of any other
substance that would produce the same colour as styrch-
nia ; the existence of salacine, for instance, would not
affect the finding of styrchnia. Supposing death to have
been caused by a dose of styrchnia only sufficient to cause
death, it would not be absorbed in the system so as not
to be found on a post mortem examination. That has been
a great question. These alkalies are not changed in
digestion, and may be found in the blood. No amount of
putrefaction of an ordinary time would destroy its detec-
tion, but I not say it is indestructible. I have found it
after forty-two days.
By the Attorney-General: He experimented with Mr.
Morley and some few alone, and the symptoms were
generally alike. The experiments made conjointly were
with Mr. Morley, and with reference to the Leeds case,
and some with ireference to this one. I cannot say who
first corresponded about this case. I submitted the onia
which I have read. The dose which I have given has
generally been half a grain to two grains. In a dog or
cat half a grain will kill. Some animals are :more sus-
ceptible than others. Symptoms have been delayed as
long as an hour. I have known the dose to have to be
repeated. I have known cats killed by half a grain ;
but they were young ones, not old ones. Half a
grain in a solid state would be the minimum dose.
In a solid state I have found a difference in the
attack of the spasms. In some instances animals die
with less convulsion ; and in one or two instances there
.eta ? has been death after one spasm. That has arisen when
: It was frequently so described. the same dose has been given. The limbs are generally
darned Sergeant was about examining witness on first affected. In the case of ;the lady at Leeds, the feet
eiland's book, when were not more curved than was due to the ordinary
e Attorney-General objected. It would be much
rigidity of death. I believe, from the heart being
er to ask the witness what he knew himself.
empty, coupled with the other facts, that Cook's
death was not from strychnine. The fact of the heart
.Cho Learned Judge concurred in this view of the case
being empty would depend upon the way the post
td that style of examination was abandoned. mortem examination was made. If begun at the
Examination 'resumed by Mr. Sergeant Shee : I have head the blood being fluid would by ordinary causes re.
mown convulsive symptoms to occur at various intervals— cede from the heart. In Cook's case, the post mortem
Sometimes hours, sometimes days. I have known patients examination, the chest was opened first. I cannot account
S' Ter in two minutes, in other cases two hours. They were for the emptiness of the heart. I ascribe Cook's death to
dependent upon some slight disease of the brain or spinal convulsions. Excitement may induce such a condition
cord When death takes place under such symptoms, in of the brain and system that convulsions may come on at
eases no trace has been found of disease on a post mor- a future period enough to cause death. He did not die
I have formed no opinion on the finding of apoplexy. Ido net think that morphia caused his
death, but it might have accelerated.r it. Morphia would
,ales; they might produce effect on the spinal
Inhere are specimens in museums where granules not properrom the
irritabilityr ug
thatto a dcmoionki swt ea s to ;s.r personom
what
t sufferingheard
found near the spinal cord. I have seen these of the attack Cook said he had in the night, I believe he
set in St. Thomas's Hospital. In order to discover such was suffering from delirium. Any convulsion may be
granules I should think it would be immediately necessary considered tetanic, it you mean by that term an out-
efter death to open the body to discover them to ascettain stretching of the limbs. When convulsions terminate in
their effect on the spinal cord, more especially if the brain death consciousness is absent. I do not think, from the
bad been previously opened. Independent of those granules symptoms describing Cook's death, that the paroxysm
it would be possible, after some time had elapsed, to dis- was one of tetanus. (Dr. Jones evidence was then
cover the condition of the spinal cord. In order to discover read.)
the minutest structure of the nervous system a lens would Witness ;I do not think it was disease at all.
be necessary, and that would be required supposing an ex-
The Attorney-General : Neither do I.
araination took place immediately after death. In the course Witness : I never knew a case of tetanus where rigidity
cohstiiinaued
from
other convulsions
Tetanic paroxysms are
of,. my experience I have had cases of traumatic tetanus, and
conlnulesoionnrsul the time of
4. agree in the opinion that it commonly commences vidgiastsi
monsstcri o
deathn!ll know nomcase where
us
in the jaw. I have had four cases of idiopathic tetanus ness was retained to the last. Convulsiosniosnfsroc
ch-
le the course of my experience. One occurred in my own nine are called tetanic, and very properly so. In lases
Three of these cases commenced with lock jaw. I of strychnine the spasms are more violent than in ordinary
have had experience by personal practice. The fourth case tetanus. I have not said, nor do I infer, that this was in
commenced in the body ; after swallowing easily the any sense a case of tetanus. The convulsions which took
11Pasins came on. I have made a post mortem examination place after strychnine were called tetanic, and very
of two persons who have died through strychnine within properly so. He thought that Cook's was not a case
the last two years. I had not seen either of the patients of tetanus in any sense of the word. It did
before death, and it was in b cases by chemical analysis not run the course of tetanus. If it had been tetanus he
that I ascertained that death had been occasioned by would not have been able to arouse Mr. Jones. He had
h
strychnine. I found the strychnine. In the first 'case heard that Mrs. Smythe, who was under the influence of
the same.
asked to have her neck rubbed. Cook did
t.,11 post tnortem examination took place 42 hours after
That certainly might shake his faith. In the
death, and in the other 30 hours. The body had not been Leeds case lock-jaw came on two hours after. death.
touched when the post mortem examination commenced. That was a case in which it was suspected strychnine had
The appearances of the body after death were—general been four times repeated. In the Leeds case four animals
surface not unnatural, no marks of external violence. The were killed by the strychnine found in the body.
eYelids were partially opened, and the expression of the face Mr. Sergeant Shee put one or two questions to the wit-
dstressed. The muscles of the body were flaccid and could nesses, who then withdrew, and at half-past two the court
easily be moved, the feet were somewhat arched. The heart adjourned for a short period.
had been drained out by the head hanging over the table. Upon the jury returning into court,
In the second case the patient was about twenty years of age. Mr. William Herapath, of Bristol, was called, and
es were quite flaccid, and the weather was not hot, examined by Mr. Grove : I have been connected with
appearance could not have been produced by chemistry and toxicology for upwards of thirty years. I
upon
practice.strychnia.
am In
onte vaenr
asnaawiya.
have been experimenting
in
aerie influence. The arms and legs were some-
stiffened. The heart was perfectly flaccid, and on living subject.
tical chemist. seen a body after death which had
been poisoj.n-ced alnthhamvsetnrychnine. It was about three days
right side contained blood ; there was also some
pmadecr
exilet w o tests,of lead,
lon the left side. The notes I have just read are not
It
the puce coloured
bi-chromate of potass,
original notes I made on the occasion of the post mortem
.araination. I have also seen cases where an over dose oxide. Third, sulphuric acid and per oxide of manganese.
1 strychnine has been taken, but they have not terminated asurtleprhudreiactha'cidl.
I also made a fourth test. The last two produceacop-
atelly. The quantity taken, in one case, was 1-6th of a per colour of strychnine, and the third a purple passing
grain. In a very few minutes the symptoms appeared. The to red. Other tests give other colours with common
Poison had been taken in a fluid state. The symptoms were strychnine, but not with pure strychnine. The process
a went of power in controlling the actions of the muscles. of the test is to obtain the poison. In the case of the
The patient was up walking about when first attacked. human body referred to I made evident the strychnine
.The symptoms manifested themselves by twitchings, rigidity, by the coloured test. I have experimented on animals
and sudden cramp —more violent in the legs than any other to an extent sufficient to establish the pfrinciple. I have
Part of the body. The nature of the twitchings and spasms analysed two cats. I gave one graien oani
mal strychnineto takei n iat
but I could. ric get
Were not violent at first, but it was six hours before the solid form,
voluntarily, and found thecat dead
so I left it in the food
symptoms disappeared. During the six hours the attacks were in the morning; the body was contorted.
intermittent at various intervals. As the poison passed ge Lord Campbell : Rigid ?
if they became less frequent. At first two or three seconds Witness : Extremely so. The head was turned round
WV elapsed. These symptoms were not combated with to the side, the eyes protruding and the iris expanded so

THE
RUGELEY POISONINGS.

TRIAL OF PALMER AT THE CENTRAL

CRIMINAL COURT

:FROM OtJR OWN REPORTER)

3.? St.lltiv

examination.

gra

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY.

as to be almost invisible. In the urine which had been
ejected I found strychnine, and I also found it in the
stomach. I found it by the coloured test. The second
case was also a cat. I gave the same quantity in a solid
form and it swalloWed It. The animal remained very
quiet for 15 or 16 minutes, with but fewy;,,,jriatill
35 minutes, when it lii tt Terrible spasm. I watched the
animal fur about three hours when it had a second
spasm, and then I thought it would have died. but it re-
covered and remained trembling all over. During two
hour's and a half the animal was in a peculiar state;
touching it had the effect of electrifying it all over. The
slightest touch produced this effect. I left the animal for
three hours thinking it would recover, but in the morn-
ing I found it dead in the same indurated contorted con-
dition the former animal had been found. I examined
the body 36 hours after death, and found strychnine in
the urine, in the stomach and upper intestines, in the
liver and in the blood of the heart. In all cases I have
examined I have found the poison. In cases where
strychnine has been taken it has been discovered,
and I have also found the nux vomica. In one case
the animal had been buried two months. I have experi-
mented with strychnia mixed purposely with a putrifying
matter and detected it in all cases. lam of opinion, as a
chemist, that where strychnia has been taken in sufficient
quantity to kill, it will be found. I have heard the eVi-
denee respecting the jar taken to Dr. Taylor, and I think
if strychnia had been there it ought to have been discov-
ered. The experiments I have just mentioned were made
in Bristol. I have made experiments in London of a
similar nature. _ _

THE MONSTER GUN

SECOND SUCCESSFUL TRIAL YESTERDAY.

The second trial of the wonderful monster gun took place

yesterday, at the same locality as Oil the previous day, and

the success was as equally marked as were the experiments of
Wednesday. The attendance of the public was more numerous
than on the &al day, and the interest taken in the proceedings

Cross—examined by the Attorney-General: 1 am not a
physiologist. I made a chemical experiment on the
Bth of the present month with a view to this case. I
have experimented about sine times. I have experi-
mented on the tissues of both a cat and a dog. I gave
the dog a grain. I have a strong opinion from the
newspaper reports that strychnia had been given in this
case, and I might have said that Dr. Taylor had not
taken the right way to find it. lam perfectly satisfied
that if a 50-1000th part of a pure grain had been taken, it
ought to have been detected. I can put ten grains in a
gallon of water, take a drop of that water, and detect the
presence:of strychnia. I can find even the one-thousandth
part of a grain. I found it in 1i ounce of fluid in a dog.
He had given one grain.

Mr. R-ogers examined: I am professor of chemistry to
the St. George's School of Medicine. I have made one
experiment on an animal. I commenced at the end of
the year, and finished a short time ago. It was a dog,
and I gave it two grains of strychnia between two pieces
of meat. The dog died, and three days afterwards
I removed the stomnch, and took some of the blood,
which became putrid in about ten days ; and I then
examined it to discover the strychnia. I separated
the strychnia, but I cannot say how much; but I knew
it was present by three tests. A month or five weeks
after I proceeded to analyse the stomach and its contents.
It had become decomposed. Strychnia was found in
large quantities. I have heard the evidence relative to
the jar containing the stomach of John Parsons Cook,
and lam of opinion that if strychnia had been contained
in the jar, it ought to have been found.
By the Attorney-General : It the stomach had had no
contents the washings of it would give a result. I have
made no experiments, but, as the poison resists putrifac-
tion, it would have been found in the body even at this
time. Time would'pake no difference.

had increased. Amongst the military personages present were
Sir D. M‘Dougall, Captain Va,ndeleur, float the proof depart-
ment of the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, who came down
specially to witness the trial ; Admiral Grenfell ; Captains
Middleton and Adams; Lieutenants• Richard, Southern, and
Wildon, with sergeant-major and twelve men, from
the militia artillery stationed at the fort. The
Messrs. liorstalls, and Mr. Clay, the manager of the

works, were also in attendance

Dr. Henry. Letheby examined by Mr. Keneally : I am a
Professor of Medicine in the London Hospital. I am, also,
medical officer of health to the city of London. I have been
engaged for some time in the study of poison and of its action
on living bodies. I have often been employed by the Crown,
I may say in every case tried at this court for the
last fourteen years. I have heard and attended to the
evidence given of the death of Mr. Cook. I have
witnessed many cases of the lower animals poisoned by
strychnia, and several persons poisoned by nux vomica.
The symptoms of the animals I have seen do not accord with
this case. I have never seen so long a time elapse before
the symptoms came on as in this case. The longest interval
I have noticed in animals has been three quarters of an hour,
and then the poison Wasadministered under disadvantageous
circumstances, in order to prolong its effects. It was admin-
istered on a full stomach. I have seen the poison take
effect in five minutes, and in all the cases I have seen
a quarter of an hour is the average time before the
poison exhibited itself. In all animals and human
beings, I have see❑ the system has been in an irritated state,
so that the slightest excitement, such as an effort to move,
a noise, or breath of air will set them off into convulsions.
I don't believe it at at all probable that a person to whom
strychnine had been given, and it had exhibited itself,
that he would be able to pull a bell; it would bring on
spasms, and he would be convulsed. It was not likely
that a person in this nervous irritation would submit
to have his neck rubbed. When a case of strychnine
does not terminate fatally, the first paroxysm is
followed by others less powerful ; there would not be
an entire cessation of the symptoms. I have seen antidotes
administered in cases of nux vomica. Strychnine is
meat easy of detection. The longest period at which I
have detected it has been one month ; that was in de-
composed remains. If strychnine is pure, I can detect
the 12,000 th part of a grain. I can detect the tenth
part of a grain in a pint of any liquid, whether pure or
putrified. I have detected it in a pint of the most
putrid liquid, when it has been standing three months
Upon an animal I recovered all hut a very small portion
of what I had given. I could positively detect ifs
presence in bodies where it had been. I never failed in
those animals so poisoned. I always found the left side
of the heart full of blood: The physical cause of that I
hold to be the fixing of the muscles of the chest, and the
blood being unable to relieve itself through the lungs,
remains in the heart. The lungs would be congested from
that cause. I agree with Dr. Taylor as to the muscular
contractions produced by the poison, I agree with. Dr.
Taylor that the absorption takes place in the
blood, but not that it becomes changed to
such an extent that it is undiscoverable. Not
any mixing of the contents of 'the stomach with tl e
intestines would prevent the possibility of an analysis being
made and the poison detected, It might be detected from
the mucous membrane of the stomach, If a dose of anti-
mony was taken in brandy and water it would not produce
any burning sensation.
Cross-examined by the Attorney-General—l am not a
member of the College of Physicians. I used to be employed
by the crown. The last case was in 1851, when I stated
that arsenic had been taken four times before death. I was
the cause of her being respited. Some of the medical pro-
fession challenged my opinion. I hold the same opinion
now. I have operated upon five animals within the last
two months. I have given one grain in a pill, and some-
times in a pill and sometimes upon the tongue. In the case
of a dog who had it given with a full stomach, the poison
kneaded into hard bread, the symptoms did not come on
for three quarters of an hour. The least noise or breath
of air will cause a recurrence of the paryoxysm. 1 have
known animals die in the first paroxysm. I have said I
should not feel surprised that a person should be able to
sit up in bed and ring the bell. I heardl the account
about his death, and think it quite likely, but have not
seen symptoms that convinces me of that result.
There was nothing in tha symptoms exhibited by him upon
the night of his death differing from those of tetanus by
strychnine. One of the symptoms is an increase of breathing,
and a difficulty when the spasms came on, and sitting up
would be a most likely position for a person in bed. The
symptoms of Cook's death are guile irreconcileable with
anything I ever heard. (Great sensation.)
Re-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shee : Such convulsions
might arise from some cause which an early examination
of the spinal cord might have developed. Cook's death is
quite irreconcileable with every cause of death, tither
natural or artificial. Touching an animal during the
premonitory symptoms would bring on the spasms.
I do not think that I have displeased the government
by the case of assenic alluded to. I have been engaged
since. In that case Dr. Pereira came to me and asked me
to write a letter to him, to the effect that there was a
possibility that the poison might have been taken more than
four hours, and I did so, but denied that it was probable.
The respite came one hour after my letter,
Mr. Robert Edward Gay examined by Mr. Sergeant
Shee : I am a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons.
In October, 1855, I attended a person of the
name or Fester, who was labouring under tetanus. The
symptoms were those of an ordinary cateract. Upon
the fourth day an increasing stiffness of the muscles and
feet came on, and upon the evening of that day the jaw
was locked, pains came on in the muscles of the bowels
and legs, he became convulsed with violent contractions
of arms and hands, with a difficulty of swallowing, which so
increased up to the 10th day that not any food, solid or
liquid, could be taken, and upon anything being attempted
to be fed with a spoon he became violently con-
vulsed, as also did feeling the pulse He com-
plained of great hunger, and said " What should
he do if he could not eat." He was kept alive by
injections. About the twelfth day he became insen-
sible and weaker, and convulsed until the 14th day, when
he died. He had been an omnibus conductor, and suffered
from a sore throat. The disease was an inflamatory sore
throat, from exposure to cold. He became tetanic from
his extremely nervous and anxious disposition. lie had a
large family. His sister died a week before of pulmonary
sore throat, . ,

There wore a considerable

Cross-examined by the Attorney-General : This patient
only had remissions of the severer symptom, there was
always a twitching of the muscles, The insensibility was
produced from congestion of the brain brought on by the
convulsions.

At this stage the Court adjourned.
Mr. Sergeant Shee, in answer to his Lordship, said he
would, if possible, conclude the evidence for the defence to-
morrow (this day.)

A deputation from the Manchester General Cemetery, con-
sisting of the Right Hon. T. H. Gibson, M.P., Mr. J.
Kershaw, M.P., Mr. Gregory, and Mr. W. Crippin (chair-
man), transacted business on Tuesday at the Home-office.
MILITIA. MOVEMENTS.—Yesterday the 2nd Warwickshire
regiment of militia arrived here by the Cleopatra, from
Dublin, and immediately proceeded by rail to their county,
previous to their disembodiment. The Cleopatra afterwards
embarked the Roscommon militia, under the command of
Colonel Fitzstephen French, M. P., for Dublin, en route
for Roscommon. This regiment has been encamped at
Aldershott, and is also on the eye of being disbanded.