The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-19 00:00:00

IThere are other vegetable substances which will exhibit
similar results after the colouriug tests. A mixture of
sugar and bile will produce the purple red tint. A sub-
stance called phyrozantin produces precisely similar
colours as strychnine. I have known cases occur
in my own laboratory of persons thinking that they
had stryohnia when it was only phyro-zantin. A
small quantity of salacine added gives this mixture a
bitter taste. Vegetable poisons are more difficult to
discover than mineral ones. In the rabbits I have
destroyed I have tried to discover the strength of
the strychnia in four distinct cases. I was assisted
by Dr. Rees. I applied the process I have just de-
scribed. I endeavoured to reproduce the strychnia if
present, and then applied those colour), tests I have
mentioned. In one case by the colour tests I had
given two grains of strychnia, when it was discovered
by the colour test in the other ease I had given one
grain. I attribute the absence of strychnia in some
of the cases to its absorption into the blood, and
therefore it would be no longer in the stomach. It is
in great part changed in the blood. In some cases
there would be a retention of some not absorbed
there being an excess of what was required to destroy
life. Supposing the minimum dose given I should not ex-
pect to discover any if it was required to destroy life.
There is no process by which I am acquainted with of
detecting strychnine in the tissues. Half-a-grain has
destroyed life, and supposing it to be absorbed in the
system by circulation, I should find in the blood, assum-
ing that it be 251 b. in the human subject, there would be
1-50th of a grain to 11b. of blood. A physician in Ca-
nada died i❑ 20 minutes from a dose of half-a-grain. I
believe it undergoes a partial change in the blood. I
have never heard of its being separated from the tissues
in a crystalised state. The crystrals are peculiar
in form. Tney present themselves in the form
sometimes of octahedra and quadilateral prisms,
terminating in four-sided pyramids. There are
other organic substances which crystalise in a similar
manner. After Cook's death I received a brown stone
jar from Mr. Boycott covered with bladder and tied and
sealed. It contained the stomach and intestines of the
deceased. I experimented on it with a view to discover
poison. We sought fir varnous first, prussic acid, oxalis
acid, morphia, strychnia, veratria, the poisons of tobacco
and hemlock. We only found small traces of antimony.
The parts sent UR to experiment on were the most unfa-
vourable that possibly could be to find strychnia, from
the stomach having been cut completely from end
to end, and all the contents gone, and the
fine mucous surface in which any poison, if present, would
be found lying in contact with the outside of the intes-
tines, all thrown together. On the surface of the mucous
membrane of the intestines there was feculent matter.
No doubt, in its journey up to London, it had been shaken
in every possible way ; the contents of the intestines
were also gone. If this poison had been in the system
I should have expected to have found it in the contents
and on the mucous membrane. At my request other
parts of the body were sent—the liver, spleen, and the
two kidneys, and in addition a small bottle of blood,
11b. weight—it was unlabelled, giving us no idea from
whence it was taken. We analysed all the liver and
kidneys for mineral poison, and discovered in one-
eighth part of the liver antimony. •We analysed the left
kidney and the spleen—they all yielded antimony, but
the quantity was less in the spleen than in the other
psrts. Tae blood also yielded antimony. It was re-
produced or broul,ht out by boiling the animal substance
in a mixture of hydro-chloric acid and water, and cop-
per in a state of foil and gall was introduced into it
whilst boiling, and the antimony appeared on the sur-
face. We applied various tests to it—both the esta-
blished tests and others. [The professor handed in a
small quantity of the antimony so produced.] It is im•
possible to say with precision when the antimony was
taken by the subject, but it must have been
within a few days. The longest period I have
known antimony found in the blood after the person has
I ceased to take it is eight days ; antimony within my
own knowledge has got into the blood in the quickes t
time in 13 hours. I found it in the liver, the boy hav-
ing died within 19 hours after taking it ; it was a snub
dose, and was not the cause of death; It was about five
or six grains of antimonial powder. Antimony is given
in tartar emetic. It acts as an irritant and produces
vomiting. Repeated doses would, notwithstanding the
vomiting, leave a portion behind and that would find its
way into the system. It is often given in minute doses
with impunity, and it might be given so as to produce
symptoms that would produce death if continued. I heard
from the servant her description of Mr. Cook's vomiting
both at Rugeley and at Shrewsbury, as well as the
accounts given by Mr. Jones and Mr. Gibson, and it
was such as that which would be produced from anti-
mony ; antimony is partly soluble in fluids, and does
not affect the colour of the fluid in which it is mixed, if
used in small quantities; a quantity sufficient to produce
sickness would net affect the colour of toast and water,
brandy, wine, or broth. I should think the antimony
found in the deceased must have been given within three
weeks of death—there was no evidence of any having
been given within a few hours of death.
By Lord Campbell—lt might have been administered
within a few days of death—in fact within 18 hours of
death.

ExaminMion continued—Antimony to cause sickness
would not be perceptible to the taste. A large quantity
taken might leave a tickling or choking sensation for a
time. In the analyses we made we found no trace of
mercury. If it had been taken recently to the extent of
two grains, I should have expected to have found some
trace of it in the liver. If he had taken any for a syphi-
litic affection, I should have expected to have found it,
and if taken within a few hours of death, I should have
expected some traces of it would have been found from
its slowly passing through the body. Three or four
grains taken then, I should have expected, would bare
been traced. I recollect finding it on the liver on one
occasion 24 hours after being taken ; half a grain had been
taken daily for four days previous to death. I have
heard the evidence relative to Mrs. Smith's death ; that
of Agnes Sinnett, Mrs. Dove, and the gentleman about
whom Dr. Moore gave evidence, and I coincide with
them in opinion that the three former died from strych-
nia. Mr. Cook's symptoms were of a similar character
to those referred to. As a professor of medical science,
I know of no other disease to which Cook's death can
he attributed than that it arose from strichnia.
Cross-examined by Mr. Sergeant Shea —The term
trace means a small quantity ; but I do not use it in
that term now. Too whole which we found was about
half a grain. That monk] not cause death. The tests are
use,] fur antimony after obtaining the deposit by boiling the
animal matter. Nothing but arsenic orantunony would de
posit upon the copper. We found no sublimate of arsenic.
We next us--d the test of sulphuretted hydrogen, and after
24 hours there was a deposit of a reddish colour, like sul-

phuret of antimony, and was soluble in hydro-chlorin

acid. He then described the tests employed, which
produced a deposit, which, upon being dissolved in
hydro-chloric acid, converted the black precipitate into

antimonial acid. An inaccuracy in the Leg pro-
cess or badness of the instrument might affect
the experiment. The antimony which I found might
have been taken 3 weeks before. I should think anti-

mony gets quicker out of the body of an animal than a

man. lam acquainted with the works of Orfile. He
was one of the must esteemed ehemist4. He maims

mention of a deg in whose 13,,dy after it had lived 4

months, was found to oontaieantimony, but that dog

took 45 grains. That was a large dose, and

some of the dogs died who had taken the
dose. I never knew of a case of such a quantity being
taken. We cannot o!early tell when it gets out of
the body. I was first applied to about this body upon
the 21st of November ; it was by Mr. Warrington. I

did not know GArdn.r. I have not had any previous

clqe4 at Hugeley. Mr. Steveaß and Boycott brought in

the jar with the contents of the stomach. I wrote a
letter in answer, giving my opinion of the cause of

death. The letter was here read, and went on to state
that the contents of the stomach did not give the pre-

sence of either strychnia, prussic acid, or opium ; but that
the deceased might have died from the effects of anti-

mony. A man will vomit upon first taking anti-
mony—part will go out by the bowels and part by
the urine. Orfile inclines to the opinion that in from 4
to 17 hours it passes out from the urine. I believe I
wan justified in coming to the opinion that Cook might
have died from antimony. The quantity found in the
body does not always prove the cause of death. Any
a n timonial preparation, taken judiciously or in judiciously,
might have given the results of antimony which we
arrived at. James's powder, or any such preparation,
might have left enough in the system. The accounts
which I received of Cook's death guided me in the
Cook, might have died from
opinion I came to, that lie,
the effects of antimony.

Mr. Sergeant Shee—Do you allow yourself to be di-
rected in the opinion you arriveat byhearsay statements?
—A man may die from many sorts of poison 9. The
learned professor explained that an account of how a
man died would tend to assist and direct him in the
analysis, but not influence the opinion of such analysis
beyond guiding him in the conclusions drawn, that the

isyniptoms exhibited by the deceased had been
caused by whatever poison might be traced. I was
not at the inquest on Cook at its commencement.
Some of the evidence was read over to me. Dr. Har-
land was being examincel. I also heard Dr. Bamford,
141 Barnes, and Elizabeth eXaMinecll Lad