The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-07 00:00:00

iL4

/;7 c-N

TETANIC SYMPIOVIS CAUSED BY

ANTIMONY.

IWO INSTANCES OF TETANIC SYMPTOMS CAUSED RV ANTI-
MONY ; AND PROOFS OF THE GREAT POWER OF THIS
MEDIOLNE OVER CROUP; WITH SOME REMARKS UPON THE
MURDER OF JON PARSONS COOL
There cannot, I presume, ba a reasonable doubt that
Wm. Palmer murdered John Parsons Cook with poison;
that Cook died with tetanic symptoms, induced by what
Palmer had administered ; nor that antimony had been
so administered. Several circumstances render high'y
' probable that strychnine also was given by Palmer to
Cook; such as the perfect coincidence of the tetanie
symptoms with the known effects of strychnine, the pur-
chase of strychnine by Palmer during Cook's illness jug t
before each of the two attacks of tetanic symptoms ; the
purchase of double the quantity before the second and
fatal attack that he had purchased before the first attack
which had passed away ; the absence of explanation by
Palmer of what had become of the strychnine which he
had purchased ; and, with the world at large, the belief
general in the profession that antimony never occasions the
tetanic symptoms witnessed.* On the other hand no trace
of strychnine was detected after Cook's death; and Pal-
mer, though not denying that he had poisoned Cook,
firmlydenied to the last that strychnine had been the means
of death. These two circumstances, however, may be in-
sufficient to justify a doubt that he had administere.l
strychnine.
I will pow communicate from my own practice two
cases which prove that tetanic symptoms may arise from
antimony.
On the 31 of April, 1850, I was requested by a medi-
cal gentleman, residing in Saville-row, to see the
14 months old, of a mistress_ needlewornan in Princes-
street, Haymarket, labouring under a first attack of in-
flammatory croup, which he had been treating for 3 days
with solely the potassio-tartrate of antimony. lie bad
given 27 grains. His first dice was half, a grain, and
he stayed two hours repeating this and watching its
effects till two grains had been swallowed, full vomit-
ing excited, and relief obtained. He then left the
house, directing that a tea-spoonful of autimonial
w'ne-e-a quarter, of a grain of the tartarate—should
given- every four bourn:-till his next visit, as-hing as
the difficulty of breathing end croupy sounds were
noticed. These returned' repeatedly, but never so
alarmingly as they bad been previously, and next a dose
of half a grain was administered continually, both by
day and night. By the fourth day, April 3, when 27
grains had been taken, the disease was very much alle-
viated; but the vomiting bad been profuse, there had
been tetanic symptom, and the depression was extreme ;
inasmuch that the gentleman, who bad made long and
repeated visits every day, became very anxious, and de-
sired my opinion; The arms and legs had been rigid,
the f firmer half bent ; the hands and feet turned in-
wards ; the thumbs drawn upon the palms ; the bead
drawn backwards, and to one side; the jaw closed so
that fluids could be intiodueed at the sides only, and the
for'ible use of a spoon ; and, though this condition wag
perm nent for three days and nights, and after all vomit-
ing had ceased, .there were catchings of the whole
frame, and ever,. attempt to move the child had ag-
giava,e'l the spasms. C visciousness was never Let.
When I first visited the patient all those syinntoins
had subsided, 'the disease was greatly reduced, and
debility was the chief point in the case. I said th it
such activity of treatment was new to me ; that I had
never give antimony to children under croup except in.
doses just sufficient to excite nausea and frequent voniit-
ing ; but that I had always been very unsuccessful in
my treatment of such cases of strongly inflammatory
croup, even with the addition of loss of blood and large
quantities of mercury, which acted too slowly to have
great power over the disease, though cases of a purely
or chiefly spasmodic nature 'yielded for the most part
readily ; that I made it a rule never to interfere with
treatment which was proving successful, notwithstanding
it was new to me, and perhaps not in perfect accordance
with my notions. The gentleman informs me that I
gave a very decided opinion that the child would recover,
that the treatment had saved its life, and that if the
symptoms of croup returned, they should be combated
again with the free but careful exhibition of antimony.
I well recollect be to'd me at the time that he had feared
I should oppose the further use of the medicine in any
circumstances. The child recovered with no further
treatment, and is now a fine boy, nearly seven years
and a half old.

This gentleman was led to treat the case so freely with
ant molly, be said, by having once been successful in such
a case with similar treatment put in practice uziinten.

tionally. He had lost three children in one family by
croup, and one of these I attended with him, after Dr. R.
Lee ha,l seen it, and I know that loss of blood, mer.
curs', and antimony! were carried ts far as pruderoe
justified. A fourth child, the youngest of all, was seizA
with ir.flammatory symptoms in the throat, while the
eldest was being treated with antimony for its fatal
croup. By mistake the youngest had the medicine in-
tended for the eldest, and quickly recovered, after great
vomiting and depression ; symptoms of croup showed
themselves ultimately, but very mildly. He remarked
to his assistant that, when he had another case of croup,
he would treat it with such doses of antimony as h:,d
proved successful in this instance. A year afterwards
the same child had croup again, and, through the
negligence of the friendslit not giving the antimony as
directed. was nvt so trusted, and it died.
On Feb. 15, 1852, I was summoned by the same gent!
man to consult with him upon the case of a baby S month;
old, affected with it flsmmatory croup for t. 19 first
time—the ohi'd of a Welsh member of Parliam

Another child bad already died of croup in Wales. He
had been called up in the night, and bad begun with ha t-
grain doses of the tartrate, giving one dose every hour,
and visiting the patient every two or three hours. Ile
grew anxiouq, and we met in the afternoon. From my
knowledge of his former case, I at once concurred in
what he was doing►, and advised a continuance of the

treatment. carefully che 1 by him, as I knew it w .111,1
be both d&y and nidr-,. Seven grains were given in 16
hours ; copiouv vomiting. was produced ; and tetaoic

symptoms t sci`ed as in the first case, but not so strongly.
I did not witness them. R !covery was rapid and p, r-
feet. No other medicine was given ; two or three leeches
had been applied i.t th.i first, and a dose of calomel

ordered, hut without advantage.
The assistant of this gentleman is now in practice in
War wick-street, and three years ago called me in to k. e 3

the child of a trade,man, it Regent-street, affected wish
croup, and being treated by him with the large adminis-
tration of the potassic-`artrate of antimony that he had

seen successful in the first woe which I ha-ve described.

He began by applying hreo leeches, and with the an' :.
mony, gave 12 minins of wino of ipecacuanha rind cal .
me). I first saw the child late at night, after the tt e;tt-
ment had b,en going on for t.velve hours. He hal
given at first a quarter of a grain of the tartrate every
ten Minutes, and, as vomiting wAts not induced, he soon
gave half a grain. This speedily had the effect, and it
was repeated as often as the votniting had ceased for a

time. The plan was persisted in for four days, and
about 32 grains of the tartrate was taken ; no te,rinin
symptoms nor convulsions were produced, and the Id,
though distressed, perfectly recovered. The little g r
wa.q six•yeua old.. He says I was delighted, that• we
both regarded the cure as splendid. and that he aft
wards effected exactly such another cure in a child 13
years of age, at Tornham-green, where he was then
staying, and no soasms occurred.
I have no doubt that I have generally failed with t tr-
trate of antimony in violent inflammatory croup, and some
other inflammatory diseases of children, by not carry-
ing the remedy far enough. Children have been re-
ported to have sunk under it, end I had always feared to
do mischief with it. Of the uncertainty of the antimoriial
powder, 136 years ego gave ample proofs to the p• o•
feosion,± and from that time have not used it. The

tartrate is all that can be desired : by regulation of the
dose, it may, like the steam-engine or elephant's trot
be employed for the most delicate or the most powerful

work.

In the two examples of tetanic symptoms from anti-
mony the patients were infants : one 14, the other 8
months' old. Those in whom no tetanic symptoms took
place Were, the one 6, the'other 13, years old. Yet an.
enormous dose will induce tetanic symptoms in children
not babies, and in adults. Dr. • Alfred Taylor quotes
from the Lancet two cases of children, a girl three years
old, and a boy five, who each swallowed a powder con-.'
taming 10 grains of the tartrate mixed with sugar. In
twenty minutes they were seized-with vomiting, purg-
ing, prostration, convuliions, and tetanic spasms. The
boy died in eight hours, and the girl in thirteen. He.
quotes also from the Lancet the case of a man, 28 years
of age, who swallowed two drachms of the. tartrate in
mistake for Epsom salts, and recovered ; and, besides'
agony, prostration, some vomiting, and great purging,
had constant spasmodic contractions of all the muscles,,
especially those of the abdomen and upper extremities.
The fingers were firmly contracted; and the muscles quite
rigid. _

During the whole of Cook's attacks of vomiting, diarr-
hoea, and depression, no tetanic symptoms occurred till
the Monday night before his death on the Tuesday night.
There is no reason to suppose that strychnine had up to
that time been given—to suppose that Palmer bad not
tru-ted to antimony alone in order to kill Cook. It was
cunning in him to select antimony. A soporific would
have suggested foul play by the stupefaction ; Prussio
acid might have given odour perceptible to th Nse around ;
arsenic would have been too common a poison not to
have been easily detected. Antimony was the least
likely to excite suspicion or be thought of. Ile seems to
have trusted to it till he was out of patience, and pro-
bably expected to find Cook dead when he returned to
uoanndritieosn sutffihecielSnitont
Rugeley fromgive London
did not doayexnciigtehttetaillice
symptoms ; probably he feared to use larger quantities,
lest each administration should produce burning pain at
the stomach, be instantly followed by vomiting, and
lead to certain detection of crirbe. There is no reason to
suppose that he had any deep views of preparing the sys-
tem for the action of strychnine, which is potent enough
without preparation, or of rendering the detection of
strychnine by the chemist more difficult, which is not
known to be a fact. His course appears to have been.
simple enough—to attempt to murder Cook byantimony,
as he probably had murdered his other victims, and, not
succeeding so soon as he anxiously desired, to resort, at i•
the last moment, to strychnine, with which also be
failed, till, on the Tuesday night, he gave it again.—
Dr. Elliotson on Tetanic Symptoms, in the Medical Times
and Gazette.

' " I employ the.expression " tetanic aymptems,";-becans&
some may be unwilling to allow the term " tetanus" to any.
thing but the two divisions of the regularly-formed disease
idiopathic and symptomatic—and their subdivisions. Trau-
matic tetanus is only ono of the subdivisions of the symp.
tomatic.

t " Numerous Cases, illustrative of the Efficacy of the
Hydrocyanic or Prusuic Acid in Arections ef the Stomach,
6," 1820.

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SALE OF STORES.
THE PRINCIPAL OFFICERS of HER
MAJESTY'S WAR DEPARTMENT Do HEREBY GivE
Novas, that a quantity of Artillery Clothing, Harness, Leather,
Wh els, Firewood, t owder Barrels, Staves, Woo n Rope, Old Canvas,
Chain Reins, Founders' and Lead Ashes, Cases, Tin Cuttings, Cork,
Nails, Slow Match, Wagons. &c., will be Sold by Public Auction
in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, on THIIR3DA.Y, lOth July, 18L6,
at 11 o'clock in the forenoon precisely.
May be viewed from 10 till 4 o'clock on the three days previous
to the sale.
Catalogues may be had at the War Department, Pall-mall, Tower
OSLondon, and Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.
W. 0. MANIIALL,
fur Director-General of Contracts

II ER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
First Night of new Ballet, Le Corsaire.
•
Madame ALBONI Madame ROSATI.
TO-MORROW EVENING (Tuesday, Jaly 8), will be per-
formed Rossini's Opera,
LA CENERENTOLA.
Angelina, Mdlle. Alboni ; Don Magnifico, Signor Rossi (of
the Italian Operas Paris and Vienna, his first appearance) ;
Dandini, Signor Beneventano ; and Bon Ramiro, Signor 61-
After which will be produced (first time in this country)
an entirely new Ballet,
LE CORSAIRE.
With new Scenery, Dresses, and Decorations, The music
by M Adolphe Adam.
Conrad, Signor Ronzani ; Seyd, M. Dauty ; Yussuffe' M.
Venafra ; Birbanto, M. Vandris ; Sulmea, Mdlle. Clara ; Gni-
Dare, Mdlle. Rosa ; Dilare, Mdlle. Lizereux ; Medora, Madorne
Rosati.
The Opera will commence at Half-pazt Seven o'clock.
Applications for boxes, stalls, and tickets to be made at
the Box-office of the Theatre, Colonnade, Haymarket.

•
MR. BALFE'S BENEFIT, at DRURY-
LANE, TO-NIGHT, July 7.—lmmense
Attractions for this night only—Mr. and Mrs. Sims Reeves,
Madame Viardot Garcia, Miss Dolby, M. Gassier, Arabella
Goddard, Ernst, and Piatti. The performances will com-
mence with Balfe's favourite opera THE BOHEMIAN GIRL,
with the new music and following splendid cast : —Mr. and
Mrs. Sims Reeves, Miss Dyer, Mr. Manvers, Mr. Drayton,
and Mr. Weiss. Mr. Balfe will preside in the orchestra, which,
with the chorus, will be on a grand scale. •To be .followed by
a grand Vocal and Instrumental Concert, in which the fol-
lowing celebrated artistes will appear:—Madame Viardot Gar-
cia, Miss Dolby, Miss Fanny Huddart, Misses Brougham, and
Mrs. Enderssohn. Mr. Henry Haigh, Signor Lorenzo, and
M. Gassier. Instrumentalists :—Violin, Herr Ernst ; harp,
Mr. John Thomas ; violoncello, Signor Piatti ; pianoforte,
Miss Arabella Goddard and Mr. G. A. Osborne. To conclude
with the 4th Act of Verdi's opera IL TROVATORE, with'the
following cast :- —Miss Lucy Escott, Miss Fanny Huddart; M.
Durand, an 1 Mr. Augustus Braham. Private boxes, .31. 3..,
21. 23., IL. 15..; stalls, 75.. 6d. ;;dress circle, ss. ; boxes, 45.;
upper circle, 2s. 6d.; pit, 2s. dd. ; galleries, 2s. and is.
Boxes and stalls to be had of Yr. .31. W. Balfe, 11, Cork-
street, Burli,gton-gardens ; of Mr. Chatterton, at the box-
office of the theatre; and Messrs. Boosey and Sous, 24,
Holles•street.

'fAA.TRE ROTIL, DRITRY-LXXE.

Lessee, 1,

`+-iUtil

EIIGLIsn OPERA.

THIS EVENINQ will be produced
THE BOIIEItIA'4 GIRL.
Followed by
A GRAND CONCERT.
To con !ludo with
?he Last Act of IL TROYATOIt.
• ,

y a __

TtiedkritA ROYAL. a,xy
Under the Managern,,.nt of; %fr. RneistOne,

MT EVFMNII,
TIVELF rx NIG IT.

After which
The Spanish'Da3aeff:

Folliywei by
MU IIUCIAEg AT 'UWE.

To conande with , .
A DATJOHTER TO MARRY.

i ~

g )Y P'4.! 44;121:tr ) rEpltTn.m, OI°OI2D-STREET.

Under the seaqvitent of &(r. C1148.1.Es KLAN.

Tflti EVENING,
311T8IC lI.TII CHARMS.

After whien

T IE WINTEW3 TALE.

ROYAL TIIRATRIL ADELPIII.
Propnator and Hana;er. Mr. Li. Webster.

Directress, Madame Celeste.

F.,VEN11,14,
VIE FLYISG DTI:UW.IMAX.

After which,
THE CT:MOWS OF rim CIIINFRT.

Polloired by
THE IRISFI Llov.

RI TA r, MX .1 PIC' THEATRE.

reside and lianazer.- %Ir. Alfred Wigan.

EVENINTC4

THE JENT.OI73 WIFE.
A fter which,

A CONITJGIL LESSON.

- ;:onclude with
A F SCINATING DTDIVIDUILL.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPDITHRATRE.
Lessee wrd Margor. Mr. Wow Ccoke
This day (MONDIY) a MOWCING PERFORIIA..TCE at Two
o'clock.