The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-22 00:00:00

THE IiUN; LONDON, TriTURSDAY EVENING, MAY 290

with Mr. Morley, and with reference to the'.Leedi case,
and some with reference to this one. I cannot say who
first correspnded about this case. I submitted the one

which I have read. The dose which T 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 spasm?. In some instances animals die
with less convulsion ; and in one or two instances there
has been death after one spasm. That has arisen when
the same dose has been given. The limbs are generally
first affected. In the case of the lady at Leeds, the feet
were not more curved than was due to the ordinary ri•
gidity of death. That was stated at the time. There
.vas a distinction between the different parts of the
body. I disagree in the opinion of Dr. M ,rley in what
he stated as to the rigidity after death. I believe, from
the heart being empty, coupled with the other facts, that
Cook's death was not from strychnine. The fact of
the heart being empty would depend upon the way the
post mortem examination was made. If begun at the
head the blood being fluid would by ordinary causes re-
cede from the heart. In Cook's case at the post mortem
examination the chest was opened first. I cannot account
for the emptiness of the heart. I ascribe Cook's death to
convulsions. Excitement may induce such a condition
of the brain and system that convulsions may come on at
a future period enough to cause death. He did not die o
apoplexy. I do not think that morphia caused his
death, but it might have accelerated it. Morphia would
not be a proper drug to administer to a person suffering
from the irritability that Cook was. From what I heard
of the attack Cook said he had in the night, I believe he
vas suffering from deliriu n. Any convulsion may be
considered tetanic, if 'yciu mean by that term an out-
stretching of the limbs. 'When convulsions terminate
❑ death consciousness is absent. Ido not think, from
he symptoms describing Cook's death, that the
Paroxysm was one of tetanus.
Witness—l do not think it was disease at all.
Attorney-General—Neither do I.
Witness—l never kneW a case of tetanus where
rigidity was continued after death.; Tetanic paroxysms
tre distinguishable from- other convulsions at the time
,f death. I know no case where in convulsions con-
ciousness was retained to the last. Convulsions from
strychnine are called tetanic, and very properly so. In
'ayes of strychnine the spasms are more violent than in
irdinary tetanus. I have not said, nor do I infer, that
this was in any sense a case of tetanus.
The Attorney-General—Why net !
Witness—lt did not run the course of tetanus—dim-
cuity of breathing is a premonitory in strychnine.
The Attorney-General—Did not Cook elk to have his
are rubbed !
Witness—So far as my experience in animals is con

erned--
, The Attorney-General —They of course could not ask
o have their ears rubbed ? (A laugh.)
Mr. Sergeant Shee—ls thiti proper ! My witness is
a'aout describing what occurred in experiments, and
se is met like this.
Witness—ln the Leeds case lock jaw came on
7ery suddenly. It came on in four hours and a half.
`he day before yesterday was the first time I had seen
experiments tried upon the blood. I have said that I
have succeeded in discovering strychnine. Mr. Morley
nd myself are not divided in opinion in effect. Two
different tests were applied.
By Mr. Sergeant Shee—ln making reports of the
appearance of bodies after death, we state extraordinary
:ippearances as well as ordinary ones.
The Court here adjourned for a short time.
Upon the jury returning into Court,

Mr. William Herapatb, of Bristol, was called and
examined by Mr. Grove—l have been connected
:vitb chemistry and toxicology for upwards of thirty
ears. I have been experimenting upon strychuia.

f never saw a living subject. I am not in
practice. I am not an analytical chemist. I
ave seen a body after death which had been poi-
oned with strychnine. It was about three days
after death. I made two tests, bi-chr3ma,te of potass,
nlphuric acid, per oxide of lead, or the puce coloured
xide. Third sulphuric acid and per oxide of manga-
oese. I also made a fourth test. The last two produce
copper colour of strychnine, and the third a purple
iassing to red. Other tests give other colours with
• ninon strychnine, but not with pure strychnine. The
recess cf the test i 3 to obtain the poison. In the case
the human body referred to I made evident the
sychnine by the coloured test. I have expert nent,d
n animals toan extent sufficient to establish the priu-
-,ple. I Lave analysed two cats. I gave one grain of
trychnine in a solid form, but I could not get the ani-
nal to take it voluntarily, so I left it in the food and
ound the cat dead in the morning ; the body was con-
torted.
Lord Campbell—Rigid ?

Witness—Extremely so. The head was turned round
the side, the eyes protruding and the iris exoanded so
is to be almost invisible. In the urine which had been

•jetted I found strychnine, and I also found it in the
tornach. I found it by the coloured test. Tne second
:ase was also a cat. I gave the same quantity in a
,olid form and it swa'lowed it. The animal remained
♦ery quiet for 15 or 16 minutes with but few symptoms
bill 35 minutes, when it had a terrible spasm. I watched
the animal for about 3 hours when it ha 1 a second

pasrn, and then I thought it would have died, but it re•
iovered and remained trembling all over. During two
tones and a half the animal was in a peculiar state ;
'inching it had the effect of electrifying it all over. The
slightest touch produced this effect. I left the animal
•ir 3 hours thinking it would recover, but in the morn-
ng I found it dead in the same indurated contorted con•
istion the former animal had been found. I examined
;he body 36 hours after death and found strychnine in
;he urine, in the stomach and upper intestines, in the
liver and in the blood of the heart. In all cases I have
sxamined 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 exp r •
nented with strichnia mixed purposely with p itrifyi g
matter and detected it in all cases, I am of opinion', 33 a
ihemist, that where strychnia has been taken in suffi-
cient quantity to kill, it will be found. I have heard
'_lse evidence respecting the jar taken to Dr. Taylor,
and I think if strychnia had been there it ought to have
been discovered. The experiments I have just mentioned
were made in Bristol. I have made experiments
in London of a similar nature.

Cross-examined by the Attorney-General—l am not a
ohysyologist. I made a chemical experiment on the
3-h of the present month with a view to this ease. I
Lave experimented about nine times. I have experi
inented on the tissues of both a cat and 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. I are perfectly
satisfied that if a 50-1000th part of a pure grain
had been taken it ought to have been detected.
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 11 ounce of fluid in a di-g. He had given one grail.
Mr. Rogers was next examined, and said lam Professor
of Chemistry to the St. George's School of Medicine. I
have made one experiment on an animal. it commenced
at the end of the year, and finished a short time ago. It
was a dog, and I gave it two grainsof strychnia between
two pieces of meat. The dog died, and three days after-
wards I removed the stomach, 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 con-
tents. It bad 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 I am of opinion that
if strychnia had been contained in the jar it ought to
have been found.

By Attorney General.—lf the stomach had had no
contents the washings of it would give a result. I have
ma le no experiments, but as the p ikon resists putri-
faction it would have been found in the body even at
this time. Time would make no difference.

Examined by Mr. Kinnealy---Dr. Henry Letheby,
I am a bachelor 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 wit-
nessed many cases of the lower animals poisioned by
strychnia, and several persons poisoned by nux vomica.
The symptoms of the animals I have seen do not accord
with this case. Animals differed very much with this
ease. I have never seen so long a time elapse before
the symptoms have come on as, in this case. The
longest interval I have noticed in animals has been three
quarters of an hour, and thenthelpoison was Administer, d

under disadvantageous circumstances in order to
prolong its effects. It was administered 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 seen 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 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 spasm], 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 haveseen antidotes
administered in eases of nux vomica. Strychnine is
most 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 000th part of a grain. I can detect the tenth
part of a grain in a pint of any liquid, whether pure or
petrified. 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 but a very small portion
of what I had given. I could positively detect its
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, an•! the
blood being unable to relieve itself through the lungs, re-
mains 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 as extent that it is undiscoverable.
Not any' mixing of the contents of the stomach
with the intestines would prevent the possibility
of an': analysis being made and the poison detected. 1,.
might be detected from the mucius membrane of the
stomach. If a dose of antimony was taken in brandy
and water it would not produce any burning sensation.
It does not possess that property. I have studied
poisons for 18 years.
Cross-examined by the Attorney-General—I 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 profession 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 sometimes 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 thres-quarters of an hour. The least noise or breath
of air will cause a recurrence of the paroxyism. I 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 heard the account
about his death, and think it quite likely, brit have not
'seen symptoms that convinces me of that result.
There was nothing in the symptoms exhibited by bile
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 quite irreconcileabie
with anything I ever heard. (Great sensation.)

Re-examined by Sergeant Shee—Such convulsions
might arise from same cause which an early examination
of the spinal cord might have developed. Cook's death is
quite irreconcileable with every cause of death, either
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 co him to
the effect that there way 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 mdter my letter.

Robert Edward Gay examined by Sergeant
Shee. I am a Fellow of the Royal College of
Surgeons. In October, 1855, I attended a person of the
name of Foiter, who was labouring under tetanus. The
symptoms were those of an ordinary cataract. 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 en in the muscles of the bowels
and lens, 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 vident!y
c mvulsed, as also did feeling the pulse. Ho 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 Le died. He had been an omnibus
conductor, and suffered from a sore throat, The
disease was an ieflanimatory sore throat, from ex-
posure to cold. He became tetanic from his ex
tremely nervous and anxious disposition, He had a
large family. His sister died a week before of a pul-
monary sore throat.

Cross-examined by the Attorney-General—This is one
of the ordinary cases of Edethatic tetanus. It is al-
ways progressive. 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 Giurt adjourned. Sergeant Shee,
in answer to his Lordship, said he would, if possible,
conclude the evidence for the defence to-morrow.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(This Evening.)
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
It five o'ciocg.

SECOND READINGS,

On the mction of Llrd REDESDALE, the following
bills were severally read a second time :—Bath Gas,
Blston Gas, Cheltenham Gas, Sleaford and Tattershall
Turnpike Trusts Bill.
The .la,rl of HARDWICKE presented a petition
from the working classes in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on
the subject of our maritime laws as affected by the treaty
recently agreed to at Paris.

hut it was highly olijectiouable if taken on the
principle that free ships mode free goads. The noVe lord
then went at some length into the whole subjtet
of the right of search, and quoted a number of authori-
ties, and then traced thee' right through a long period
of time to show the principles he had laid down, and
strongly condemned the departure from the law, which,
until lately, regulated maritime transactions.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COIVIMONS—(This Evening.:

The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour.

The following bills were read, a third time and passed :
—Alford Valley Railway, Barnsdale and Leeds R
Kettering and Newport Pagnell Road, Luton, Dons-
tab!e, and Welwyn Junction Railway, Midland Railway.
Norfolk Railway, Stockport and Warrington Road, and
Wolverhampton Water.
The following bills were considered and read a third
time :—London, Tilbury, and Southend Railway (Ex-
tension and Branches), and Ry Tidal Harbour and
Railway.

STATE OF TRADE.—NOTTINGEIAM, Wednesday.—The
lace trade is in a a very satisfactory state, and, although
more quiet of late, still the fine genial weather of the
present month will render the demand for fancy arti-
cles more brisk. We are now between the spring and
summer seasons, and the quietness of the trade at the
present time is what always occurs at corresponding
periode, and at this particular season manufacturers pre-
pare for the summer trade. From present appearances
there will, in all probability, be an active summer de-
mand. The hosiery trade is also rather inure quiet than
it was a few weeks ago ; on the whole, however, the
trade is in a very healthy condition, and we are expect-
ing a good summer trade. Yarns are flan, at high
prices.
CHEAP PHYSIC.—Set about doing good to somebody.
Put on your bat and go and visit the poor ; inquire into
their wants, end a•lminister unto them ; seek out the
desolate and oppressed, and tell them of the consolations
of religion. I have often tried tbis, and found it the
best medicine for a heavy heart —llowarcl.
ALGERIA.— Whilst great inundations have taken place
in France, Africa has been suffering from drought. At
Constantina the natives last week had recourse to what
they consider an infallible means of obtaining rain—the
ceremony of ducking, with religions forms, in the near-
est liver the half-witted creatures called marabouts.
Five or six of these men were conveyed in procession to
the Roumel, and there plunged several times in succes-
sion into the water, the persons composing the procee-
mion at the same time singing and shouting. One of
them, who was unwilling to be ducked, was thrown into
the river by force, and when ho came out lie declared in
a passion that no rain should fall for a year. The next
day, however, to the great delight of the natives, clouds
covered the sky, and after a while abundant rain fell. 1
Of course they ascribed this result to the ducking of
the marabouts.