The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-07-19 00:00:00

THE LEEDS POISONING

CASE.

TRIAL OF WILL DOVE

qCLUSION OF THE SECOND DAY'S
PROCEEDINGS.

When our parcel was despatched on Thursday evening,
Mr. Morley, the surgeon, had just been called into the
witness boy nn

..,,,, vu uenatt of the prosecution. We therefore
continue our report with the evidence given by that gen-
tleman.

Mr. George Morley was then examines. He
am a member of the Royal College of Surgeons. I was the
medical attendant of Mrs. Dove. I have been the medical
attendant of the family for some years. From the 27th
Sept. she was an invalid up to the time of her death. She
become worse on the 25th of February. I saw her on that
day—in the latter part of the day. I had seen Mr. Scaife
before going to her. I noticed a twitching of the arm once
or twice, and had a minute account from Mr. Scaife, and
made inquiries from her what was the matter with her.
Mrs. Fisher said she had pains in her legs and neck, and
spasms. The opinion I formed was that the nervous system
was affected. The spasms were of an hysterical eature, and
of short duration. She used the word "shock." I saw her
every day. On the Wednesday and Thursday I observed
the symptoms again. I saw her on Friday and Saturday.
She was better on Saturday. I altered my onieion on
Saturday night. I had very often seee signs of hysteria
The remedies I gave would have,
hysteria. On the Wednesday, the prisoner said, in
wife's preseees, that she would not recover. I called
aside, and tole him not to make such remarks. T
quested him to have a consultation. He or
satisfied. The following day I received a note nob expressed entire confidence in Mr. Morley, and requt seci him to speak to Mrs. Dove on religious subjects.
never objected to his having additional advice. I told him
then there was no serious disease and no indication of
danger. when he expressed the opinion that she would not
live. On Saturday I fetched Dr. Hobson. The prisoner
spin said he thought Mrs. Dove would not live, and if she
died be would object to a post mortem examination, He
said it repeatedly. Dr. Hobson went with me to the house.
On the Sunday morning I went to his house. He was not
there. I then wrote a note requesting a post mortem examination. I now attribute the symptoms during the
week to poisoning by strychnia, finding in the body no other
disease which would account for death. Hysteria is more
irregular. It does not assume a tetanic character. There
is more disturbance of mind. The symptoms I call tetanic
are stiffness of limb, neck and jaw, and a stretching out of
the legs, and arching of the back. The sensation in her
feet or jaw are not likely to occur in hysteria, but some-
thing like them might be. Singly there is no one that
might not be found in hysteria, bet all conjointly are not
so. Separately and conjointly they are consistent with
death by strychnia. I got a letter permitting the post
mortem examination. I wrote no answer to it, but I con-
Versed with his mother, and received a letter from him,
signed Mary Dove and William Dove. I told Mrs. Dove
that he had obtained strycbnia from my surgery, and I sus-
pected that, possibly by accident, there might be poisoning.
I have a rough sketch of the post mortem examination with
rue. (Witness read the report, which has already appeared,
and the substance of which is contained in the evidence.)
Strychnia is a poison, and the effect of it passes away if
the patient recovers. It is not a cumulative poison, as in
the case of mineral poisons. The corstituent elements of
strychnia are broken up. It is not decomposed, and would
still act upon other animals. In the experiments upon
animals, none of the symptoms of poisoning by strychnia
were wanting. In the case of the death of Mrs. Dove, I
know no other cause than strychnia. I have no doubt that
each of the several attacks was occasioned by strychnia.
Of the medicines I administered some were bitter, and had
aloes in them—one contained ammonia. I had some con-
versation with Dove, at his mother's house on the Wednes-
day. His mether was present during part of the conversa-
tion. He began to ask what we had found. He asked
whether we had found poison. I replied we had not
completed the analysis. I said we had not found any
natural cause of death. He put the inquiries in various
forms, and asked me if poison was found what
the jury
would say. I said it would be a serious question, whether
it was accidental or taken by herself, or administered by some
other person. Nothing else was then said. I knew then
bow he had got the strychnia. When I asked him about it,
the prisoner said he never got strychnia more than once, and
that be had had it in his house some days. Ile said he used it to
Poison mice in the house. He told rue he had placed it in a razor
box. He hail shown it to Mrs. Dove, and told her it was a
dangerous poison, and she must not touch it. Strychnia acts
in from a tew seconds to an hour, or an " hour and a half
after it is given, depending upon the amount given, the
persons constitution, and state of health. It could net,
have been administered in the tea, if she had that at five
o'clock, as the attack came on at half-pant eight o'clock,
but if administered in the medicine afterwards, the attack
would take place at the time it did. Strychnia is a dry
Powder—drier and more dusty than carbonate of soda. I
should think two or three grains were taken by Mrs Dove
on Saturday night. The least amount that would produce
that result would be a grain. You might take up two or
three grains between the finger and thumb. I saw the
body on the Saturday night and on the Sunday.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss : I had seen very little of
the prisoner until he came to Cardigan place—very little
of him when a boy. When I mentioned the strychnia, he
asked me if I suspected him, and said, " If I had done so,
do you think I could have done it openly ? Do you think
I could have been so cruel ?" That was the first time
I named strychnia. I don't know how much strychnia
I found in the dog. I examined the blood, and
did not find any there. I did not think the stain
on the carpet or board could have contained strychnia
enough to have poisoned a dog. In the intestines I
discovered a very slight trace of strychnia. Strychnia is
exceedingly bitter. One forty-thousandth part of a grain
would produce a bitter taste. There was a quantity of
faeces in the intestines. Strychnia is not soluble in alkali.
Up to that Saturday I had seen Mrs. Dove every day. I
enquired her ailments and symptoms daily. I should not
expect to find any traces of hysteria in the body. I
I did not find any traces in the body that could not be
accounted for by the symptoms on Saturday night. I have
no doubt that the attacks on the previous days were caused
by strychnia. The description I have heard to-day is mate-
rially additional to what I saw.
Baron BRAMWELL : Was there any,symptom inconsistent
with strvchnia having been administered on a former
occasion ?
Witness: Not at all. It favours the view that it was
administered. I found no symptoms that the lungs or the
brain were enlarged during the week. It is chiefly Mrs.
Wood's and Mrs. Whitham's account that has changed my
opinion. Every one of the symptoms are to be found in
hysteria separately. Mrs. Wood and Mrs. Whitham des-
cribed the symptoms more fully and clearly. Mr. Scaite
attributed the symptoms to nervous derangement. It is
not a symptom of strychnia that a patient should desire to
be rubbed. But cases are not common—they are very few.
It is more common for them to desire not to be touched.
She complained ten days before that week of pains in her
limbs. It would depend on the amount of the dose whether
it would be extraordinary that should recover, and appear
well the next day. Hysteria might have the effect of gorg-
ing the lungs and the brain. Not shrinking from the
touch is inconsistent with strychnia. It is an indication
that the patient is not labouring under its effects.
Re-examined : There are several instances of persons
labouring under strychnia desiring to be rubbed. There
was nothing in the body inconsistent with the theory that
strychnia had been administered on the other days besides
Saturday.
By a Juryman: I never knew a case of hysteria cause
death with the same external appearance as those presented
in the case of Mrs. Dove.
Mr. Thomas Nunneley, a member of the Royal College
of Surgeons, was then examined. He said : I made a post
mortem examination of Mrs. Dove's body, and signed the
report which has been read. I have heard the evidence
given by Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Whitham, and Mrs. Fisher, in
respect to the death of Mrs. Dove. I agree with Mr.
al?r ley. I consider that the symptoms are consistent with
poisoning by strychnia.
in variousl have experimented for 30 years
that . kinds of poison, including strychnia. I heard
?qrsDove improved on the Saturday. It was possible
that it might have been after taking strychnia, but it was
inconsistent with it. I should not have anticipated that if
she
woul dada taken a 'large dose of strychnia on Friday, she
ve better on Saturday, but it is not impossible
that it might have been so.
Cross-examined by Mr. Bliss : There was nothing in the
body that might not be imputed to strychnia on the Saturday
night. lam of opinion with Mr. Morley that hysteria will
stimulate almost every other disease, and amongst the rest
tetanus. If strychnia had been administered in six doses, I
have no doubt it would be found, and that it is there row.
I should have expected to have found it in the tissues of
the body, but they were not examined. This case and the
one in London has done more to advance our knowledge of
discovering strychnia than was ever done before.
Re-examined : As a matter of knowledge derived from
the books, rubbing stems to be desired in slight ttacks.
attribute the symptoms of Saturday to strychnia. Hystera
would not account for them.
Dr. Hobson was then examined. He said : lam a doctor
of I
found her dead. I agree in opinion with Mr. Morley.
Cross-examined : I think the symptoms described in this
case might be found in an aggravated form of h‘steria.
Re-exareirted : an aggravated form of hysteria, the
patient would probably be unconscious.
Dr. Chrietison was then examined : I am a physician
residing at Edinburgh. I have devoted a great deal of time
to the study of poisons. I have heard the report of Mr.
Morley and Mr. Nunneley. I agree with both. I attribute
the symptoms to strychnia. It is just possible it may be
consistent with hysteria. It is unusual in cases of
Poisoning by strychnia that a patient should be insensible.
day Cross-examined : Setting aside what occurred on Satur-
night, I don't attribute the former symptoms to
hysteria ; I should be very sorry to assign or limit them to

said : I

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