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

life. I 'was first spoken to about this case
in January, and since then I have made experiments.-
The duse has been from one-half to three-quarters of a
grain to two grains. I could not destroy a dog with
half a grain. Tile heart is generally full from the rush
of blood from the smaller vessels into the large
cavity. I have always found more or less con-
gestion of the brain, which depends much upon the
state of the stomach. As far as I can judge
from the symptoms I have heard described I should Pay
Cook's death arose from epilepsy. I have seen one
death from epilepsy. Tee patient was not conscious. The
cause of epilepsy has never been clearly ascertained: In
all epileptic deaths there is a complication of tetanic
spasms. Mental excitement might ha4e caused the con-
vulsive attack. It is within the range of probability:
Cook was very much excited, and consequently af-
terwards depressed. These white spots upon the
stomach indicated inflammation, and which might have
influenced the brain. Ido not believe the evidence

which bt4tes tisane was no
might follow sansusl excitement. Epilepsy has ixteup
during the excitement, and I have heard the descriiid

of Co'o'k's mode of life:

Tat, Attorney General—But the sensual excitement
would nut cause epilepsy a fortnight afterwards. This

and another question of the learsTed Attorney-General
upon the same' point cAuqel much laught,:r iu the

court, and some clapping'of hands.
Mr. Baron Alderson—l heard just now some one
clapping hands ; such conduct is highly disgraceful.
Here is a man being tried for his life, it is disgraceful:
Tne Attorney General, then, with some warmth,
cross-examined the witness at some length t1f,012 the
general character of epilepsy, and the effect which opium
would have upon a person predisposed to epilepsy.
The witness said it would be most I;kely to accelerate
the symptoms, and the effect of morphia would depend
upon the peculiar idiosyncracy of the person taking it,

and would accelerate rather than tranquillise wheat here
was a disposition to congestion of the brain.
Re-examined by Sergeant Shee—From what I have
read I believe there have been cases of epilepsy where the
patient has not entirely lost his consciousness. Epilepsy
is sometimes so sudden that the patient fails down with
a shriek. It very often occurs at night in bed.
A patient may frequently suffer from epilepsy during the
night and be quite well next day. When an adult is
sexed for the first time, several fits follow in succession.
From Dr. Bamford's deposition I inferred that Cook
was under a state of depression. I should infer
from the fact of Cook's imagining himself mad
for a few minutes that he had been seized with some
sudden cramp or spasm, but supposing there was no
cramp, and supposing that Cook meant to speak the
truth, itshowed that there might be some disturbance of
the brain. I don't believe that the white spots could be
puesentin thestomach without inflammation existing also.
I have examined a case of this kind very carefully, and
have arrived at that opinion after mature study.
Dr. Bainbridge —I am a doctor of medicine, and medi-
cal officer to St. Martin's Workhouse. I have
had considerable experience in convulsive disor-
ders. There is a very great variety in the symptoms.
They also vary as to periodicity and effect. There was
one case I knew where a man was attacked twice, at
the expiration of a year, precisely the same day and
hour. I have only heard the witnesses that have been
examined to-day.
By the Attorney-General--Hysteric convulsion very
rarely ends in death. I have known a case of such.
It occurred in St. Martin's Workhouse. The patient
had had a series of attacks of the same complaint for
years. On the last occasion he had been ill only a few
hours before I was sent for. I was told that he was
attacked with sudden convulsions five minutes before
he died. There was clenching of the hand to a
small extent. I cannot undertake to say it was
a death from apoplexy. It was more like epilepsy. The
man whose case I have mentioned was subject to the
attacks, andlhad been so foryears. There is not always a
loss of consciousness in hysteria. I have known the patient
to speak after the paroxysm. I have seen cases of traumatic
tetanus. I have known 6or 7 cases of epilepsy end
in death. - -
By Mr. Grove—l have ascertained by inquiry alter
the patient has recovered that consciousness has been
retained.
Mr. Austin Steady—l am a member of the
Royal College of Surgeons. Ir, 1854 I attended a
patient for pleuristhotomis, which is a curvature of
the body sideways. Convulsions came on during the
paroxysms. The patient was seized with the same
disease 12 months afterwards, and she continued unwell
for about a week. The disease, I was told, arose from
excitement —a quarrel with her husband. I did not dis-
cover any other cause.
By Mr. E. James—l did not ascertain how long the
patient hail been suffering when I was called in. I
learned that the woman had had a blow on her side
while quarrelling with her husband. It was not de-
scribed as a violent blow, and I observed the trismus
setting in at the time. She was under my treat-
ment for a fortnight, and the rigidity of the
muscles continued the whole of the time, and she
then got better. I was ealled again to the same person
in about a twelvemonth afterwards. I attended her for
a week, and she had trismus the whole time. She has
net yet recovered. She has now tetanic twitching of
the limbs. I cannot define what the particular cause of
disease is. I saw the patient yesterday.
Dr. Geo. Robinson— I am physician to the Newcastle-
upon-Tyne Hospital. I have devoted much time to
pathology. From what I have heard of the symptoms
of Cook's death, I ascribe it to convu;sions resembling
tetanic ones. There is nothing in the whole study of
pathology so difficult as that which has reference to the
cause of convulsions. I have seen post mortem exatnina-
Lions of those who have died of convulsions, and could
not trace any cause of disease. The presence of gritty
granules in the region of the spinal cord would produce
convulsions. There is a disease known as spinal epi-
lepsy, and one of its peculiarities is the periodicity of its
return. It will assume a tetanic character. The mode
of life which I have heard Cook led would predispose a
person to such attacks. I have prescribed strychnine
medicinally.
Cross-examined by Attorneys General—l have seen 20
cases, but I have not seen anything in epileptic convul-
-:ons where the body, if laid horizontally, would
rest upou the head and the heels, but I have seen
oodles quite stiff, but have never seen them assume the