The Express.
London, England, 1868-03-18 00:00:00

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OUR PARIS LETTER.

THE ALLEGED POISONING CASE.
(nom ous owx comsposmorr.)

PARIS, TuesnAr EVIIIIING.

At Niort, on Monday, Dr. Morin, aged 67, a
physician of Saint-Loup, gave evidence in conflict
with that of the principal medical witness for: the
prosecution, Dr. Ganne. He agreed with the
latter that M. Texier had been poisoned, but was
of opinion that the poison had not been adminis-
tered continuously in small doses, which was
the theory of the indictment, but all at
once, and somewhere about the date of
August 1, only ten days before his death. He
came to this conclusion from the state of the liver,
in which he found no trace of arsenic acid, and
therefore he inferred that the poisoning could not
have been chronic. He also remarked a number
of worms in the liver, which was to him further
proof that thore could have been no arsenic in it,
because worms could not live in contact with
arsenic. He said that if Dr. Ganne believed his
patient was suffering from the systematic adminis-
tration of slow doses of poison he ought to
have administered antidotes immediately. Dr.
Ganne, in reply to this witness, said he
would not condescend to answer insinuations
which were "as ridiculous as odious." He had
great respect for the professional knowledge of Dr.
Morin, but he was mistaken in this instance. Dr.
Morin had supposed that M. Texier had a cancer,
but his obesity should have taught them better, for
it was well known that cancer always induced
leanness. As to the administration of antidotes--
the important thing was to introduce nothing into
the stomach which might cause confusion at a port
mortal' examination. (This extraordinary opinion
produced laughter and great excitement, and pro-
voked from Dr. Morin the obvious observation
that • medical man's first care should be to
save his client.) He had, however, exhibited an-
tidotes, and such as were prescribed by all standard
authors. Albumen was a very precious antidote.
He had at first given this, being under the impres-
sion that the patient was suffering from some mer-
curial salt. In this opinion he might have been
mistaken. But albumen was also a good antidote
against arsenic. He had further administered eggs
almost raw, soda water, and Vichy water, which
were all antidotes. As to the worms in the liver,
they resulted from 'arm deposited in hot weather,
while the post mortem was going on in the open
air, and he was fortified by the opinion of
Professor Malapert, that worms might perfectly
well live in the liver, unless the whole of it were
saturated with arsenic. Mdlle. Zuginielisssalle,
aged 77, governess to the children of the prisoner,
Madame Texier, deposed that Pierre Blanchard,
a messenger, sent by Dr. Game to a chemist at
Q•rthenay to get some medicine, told her that when
he brought it back Dr. Gann° drew the cork,
put his finger into the bottle, paired it into
his mouth, and then said, " You see I do
not poison my patients," to which observa-
tion Blanchard replied, " You have not
taken enough to do yourself any harm."
This hearsay evidence was confirmed by Blanchard
directly, but two other witnesses, who said they
were liniment at the interview referred to, denied
that Blanchard said anything of the kind. The
trial was again adjourned, and is not expected to
be over till Thinelay.

Tao 'MN RaILWAT CONXISSION.—The Owl of
%day mays :—" There is good reason for believing that the
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icy teen stirred, a system of eubsidies, bat an nos
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Ars inkwised the somata' of peers and eseamoners who
pried the warn as his consideration were absolutely
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