The Sun.
London, England, 1860-07-31 00:00:00

FR NCB AND _ENGLAND.

There are ev€nts which may be felt as they
come, and which are not the less acceptable be-
cause they justify our presentiment. It was natu-
ral to ask what our enterprising neighbour across
the Channel was likely to do in the present state
of affairs. If he has done what common sense said
he would do, there is all the more reason for con-
fidence in his discretion. He has written, so it is
stated, to this country, soliciting our co-operation
in what may be called a conservative policy as re-
spects the melancholy debris of the Western and
the Eastern Empire, Italy and Turkey. He invites
England to assist in saving Italy from intervention,
and Turkey from disOrganieation, so as to sustain
both in their integrity, yet without being scandals
to the civilised world. These are objects to which
France might now address herself with some pros-

pect of credit, and even advantage ; but it was
necessary that she should not appear as the single-
handed friend of Turkey or of Italy. There
are enterprises, and that within the sphere of
European affairs, in which France would natu-
rally wish to have the game all to herself. If she
intrigued with Russia it could be for no purpose in
which England had an interest equal to her own.
In the East, Russia and Frarce are equally our
rivals, and equally jealous of an ascendancy which
they might, either of them, think is rightfully their
own. When France and Austria are met in secret

conclave it is Italy that trembles for its independ-
ence. If France invited Prussia to council it is diffi-

cult to believe but that the question before them
would be the aggrandisement of both at the cost
of Germany, and the purchaEe of the Rhenish
Provinces by some such process as that which has
made Savoy change masters. All Europe waits
with anxiety the issue of negotiations between
France and any of these Powers. Trere can be no

nurse.

interest in common between themselves, unless it
be of a kind against the policy or principles of this
country. But, first of all, it is the interest of the
French Government to be ever on the move, and to
repay the confidence with which a great people
have surrendered their liberties. °Pursuing the
tentative process, France has attempted access to
each of the three great Continental Powers during
the last year or two. Her advances have been met
with a coolness sufficient to drive any but the most
confident and persevering back into themselves.
France, however, reappears on the stage of publi-
city, and now turns herself, once more to England.
Her object can only be that which is honest, unless
indeed there be still some lurking thought of that
unspecified benefit which in every new cast of the
die may fall to the State that is for the time master
of affairs. With the secret aspirations of France it
is no concern of ourselves to interfere. There need
be nothing but good when England and France
combine to protect the independence and healthy
action of Powers and nationalities threatened from
within and without with dissolution and decay,
and with the foreign ills which they ever invite.
No doubt what is called in science the method
of exhaustion performs also a considerable part in
morals and in politics. The mind ever pushes
where it can, and only stops when it finds it is
arrested by the testimony of some conscience
clearer than its own, or by some wide
survey of the dangers of its position. It
then recoils, gathers confidence and strength, and
renews its efforts in another direction, perhaps
there also to experience the same rebuff, or the
same conviction of its error. This is that hard
teaching by experience which adventurers undergo,
and which often gives to their lives an interest
denied to more ordinary men. This is the very policy
of France, and the Emperor reflects it. By some
mysterious dispensation, France has not that
genuine, orderly growth, that belongs to our race.
She can neither increase at home nor multiply
abroad. So she blindly speculates on this or that
way of cheating the destiny which dooms France to
be France still, not less, but nothing more. Now a
desert, now a Court, now a mountain, now a line of
fortresses, now the world in arms, brings her to a
stand and compels reflection. It is in the season of
disappointment, when France has proved by her
trials that the world does not lie at the disposal of
one man, or one nation, or even one idea, or one age,
that she becomes amenable to loftier motives, and
feels a duty as well as a temptation. On the very
face of history England and France have both had
a wholesome influence, and a duty to exercise it in
the affairs both of Italy and Turkey. How so deli-
cate a duty may be discharged is a distinct question;
and if it be difficult that is no more than can be said
of all social duties, which are, indeed, difficulties
because they are duties. The present state of things
in Syria, and that in Southern Italy, spontaneously
invoke the more civilised and more powerful na-
tions of Europe to do all that can be done lawfully
to bring it to an end. If our flags were ever to float
side by side it could only be for some such mission.
It is stated that France has taken the oppor-
tunity of renewing her assurances of confidence
and mutual good offices,_ not only for the pre-
sent occasion, but for' all the purposes of social
improvement. She desires nothing but peace and
progress, and wisheS to see applied to those
ends the vast expenditure now squandered in idle
preparation for imaginary war. Of course, it is
for France herself to set the tone. When she
arms, all arm ; when she lays by her panoply and
resumes the garb of peace, all Europe may do the
same. She leads the dance, and if it be any honour
or any proof of her influence we all follow her. She
has lately held a Congress at Baden, and there fol-
lows another at Toplitz. She touches Italy at one
end; the earthquake is felt at the other. She can-
not cross the Rhine, even it peace, without setting
all Germany moving to and fro. This is a mighty-
power, and it may well occur to the sounder judg-
ment of France whether she has hitherto made
the best use of an influence which might place her
at the head of Europe. In science, in art, in
philosophy and wit, she has scarcely an equal. Why
's she to be best known as the scourge that periodi-
Cully breaks across her frontier and visits mankind ?
It is time she should turn her sword into a plough-
share, and permit her neighbours to do the like.
We have not disguised from our readers the legiti-
mate result of our rival armaments. They go on till
it is discovered that war is less costly than peace,
and that it is better to take a course which admits
of a speedy conclusion than one which is bringing
you deeper and yet deeper_ into the slough. If we
go on as we have lately, we must some day clash, if
only to stay the folly of an entire self sacrifice, for

TBE LIVERPOOL POISONING CASE.

The proceedings in this inquiry were resumed
yesterday morning before Mr. Raffles, the legal
gentleman and oth6rs engaged for the prosecution
and defence being the same as on the previous days.
Mr. Aspinall said, before going on with the evi-
dence, he wished to state that, as three persons, all
inmates of Mrs. James's house, had died prior to the

death of that person, the bodies of these three per-
sons had been exhumed, under the authority of a
Secretary of State's warrant, and in each of them
antimony had been found—differing, no doubt, in
degree from the quantity which had been found on
Mrs. James; but that might be accounted for by the

circumstance that Mrs. James had died in thehos-

pital, where no means of administering antimony
existed. He wished to know whether the evidence
connected with those cases would be admitted in the

present inquiry P
The Magistrate declined to receive the evidence
in these cases.
Peter Downs house surgeon in thn Southern
Hospital, proud that, on Sunday, the 10th June,
the deceased Mrs. James was received at the hospi-
tal as a patient specially under Dr. Cameron's care,
and was not placed in a ward, but in the room .of
Elizabeth Hughes, one of the nurses. The deceased
was much emaciated, and was suffering from
vomiting and purging. By directions of witness,

as instructed liy Dr. -Cameron, the evacuations of
the deceased were carefully preserved. These were
kept in bottles which had been supplied for the
purpose, and the witness saw the different contents,
such as urine, &c., put into the bottles. Similar bot-
tles were supplied day by day, and these bottles when
filled, or partly filled, he received from Hughes, the

_
nurse, and labelled them. On Wednesday morning
he received such bottles, but whether there were

;wo or three he could not tell. On Friday a simi-
Lar occurrence took place. These
_bottles were all

delivered to a person named Dickens.

After the

post ozottem examination witness assisted in making
up different parts of the body and putting them
into bottles and jars, which also he delivered to
Dickens.• During the whole time of her residence

n the hospital she was much prostrated, but occa-
;ion ally gave slight indications of a revival; at
Limes the symptoms became much more aggravated

and urgent. From Wednesday, the 13th, the symp-
toms were purely those of exhaustion, up to the
Friday befot e her death, when there was a sadden

accession
of abdominal tenderness.

The prisoner

came to visit her frequently while she was in the
hospital. Sometimes witness permitted him to go
up stairs, and sometimes he was not allowed. He
was on all these occasions very much excited, and

seemed to be tipsy. on all except one. The only other
person admitted to see the deceased was Mrs. Caf-

feratta.

To the Bench—She complained of great thirst,
but not of constriction of the throat. Her tongue

became apthous a few days after admission.
Cross-examined by Mr. Cobb—Witness has not
seen a case of cancer of the bowels, but knows the

symptoms. Purging is one of them. Ulceration of
the stomach would produce sickness, but that of
the bowels seldom does. In the deceased's case
the cancer was low down. Irritation somewhat

akin to that exhibited by the deceased might
exist from natural causes. Exhaustion might be
produced by malignant disease of the stomach,
and might terminate in death. Knowing the cause
of death, witness should attribute the increase of
tenderness in the abdomen to ulcerated perforation
of the bowels. Witness did not see any convulsions

in the deceased. Had been informed That deceased
was afflicted with cancer of the ccecum, and by ex.

amination ascertained that fact before her death.

All the symptoms she exhibited are quite consistent
with the presence of cancer of the ccecum and ul

ceration of the stomach,, When the prisoner was
in the room, if he looked out at the window, his
face could not be seen by Mrs. James or by the

Archibald Tapper received the bottles spoken of
by the preceding witness, and took them to Dr.
Edwards' place, in Seal-street, where he gave them
to Dickens, that gen tleman's assistant.
BenjaminlPDickens, assistant to Dr. Edwards,
proved receipt of the bottles from the last witness,
and also one on the 6th or June from Weir. All of
these he took charge of, and gave them to Dr. Ed-
wards.
The evidence as to the transfer of the bottles was
completed by Thomas Scott, an errand-boy with
Dr. Edwards.
John Cameron, M.D., honorary physician to the
Southern Hospital, and lecturer on medical juris-
prudence, said the prisoner called on him on the
sth of February, and told him that Mrs. James was
very ill, and as he (Winslow) had been formerly a
patient in the Southern Hospital, where he was
attended by the witness, he had requested Mrs.
James to call in witness as her medical attendant.
Witness on calling on deceased found her in bed
and seemingly having been for a considerable time
in ill health. She had severe vomitings. On
examination he distinguished a tumour on the
right side of the abdomen, and, connectin g
that with the symptoms, he considered it to be a
cancerous tumour of the lower bowels. She said
that for some time she had been subject to attacks
of diarrhoea, and also for several years, she said, she
had been subject to occasional looseness of the
bowels. These symptoms had become much aggra-
vated since the previous Christmas. Witness pre-
scribed for her and left, leaving directions for his
being sent for if wanted. In two or three days
Winslow called for witness, and said Mrs. James
was much better. On the 29th of March, Winslow
called again, and said she *as much worse and
wished to see witness. On seeing her he found she
was in a condition much similar to that in which he
had first found her. The prescription on the sth
of February was chiefly morphia, and a small quan-
tity of hydrocyanic acid. One of the prescriptions
had been lost, but witness produced an exact copy
of it ; it was given on his second visit. On the
secon visit he asked how she had been after his
former visit, and was told she had improved rapidly,
yet had never been perfectly well, and had been
subject less or more to purging. On this as on the
previous occasion, the purging was the most urgent
symptom. On the Bth of May was again called,
and found the deceased's symptoms similar to what
they had previously been, and again he was in-
formed by her that she had been so much relieved
by what witness had given her that it had been
unnecessary to send for him. On the Bth of May
she was much worse, and her case then seemed dan-
gerous. On this account he requested Mrs. Cafferatta
to come and see him, when he told her that her aunt
was very ill and must be regularly attended by
witness or some other medical man. His attendance
was continued, and on that occasion he had sim-
ply continued the previous treatment. Under this
she improved, and on the 11th he prescribed a
modification as to the proportion of the ingredients.
She was so much better en the 19th that he dis-
continued his visits, and was again sent for on the
25th, when, finding her still worse, he added nitric
acid and tincture of opium, directing also that the
morphi prescription should be continued. On the
31st he substituted tanic acid for nitric, and con-
tinued his attendance to the 6th of June, when she
was once more much relieved, and he left off atten-
dance on her. On this day he carried away some
of the deceased's urine, which he obtained from
Mrs. Cafferatta, and gave to Dr. Edwards. He
adopted this proceeding in consequence of having
observed the sudden attacks of vomiting and purg-
ing occurring in a state of comparative health,
which induced him to think she was labouring
under the effects of poison. He was strengthened
in this belief by finding that these attacks were
most violent at first, and rapidly subsided under the
influence of medicine, which had an unusually
good effect in relieving the symptoms. He could
not account for the symptoms, nor their appear-
ance and progress, by the natural disease under
which she was labouring. On the 9th of June
witness took a couple of bottles with him, and in
them took away some of the matters which had
been rejected from the stomach and passed by the
bowels. These he took to Dr. Edwards at his
laboratory. In consequence of the information he
received from Dr. Edwards witness communi-
cated with Major Greig (the head constable) and
she was that morning removed to the Southern
Hospital. Before her removal witness told
Mrs. James, that she was suffering from the effects
of poison, and that it was absolutely necessary
for her safety that she should be removed from the
house. She was dressed, and soon afterwards taken
away in a car. In the room there was a basin con-
taining vomit whieh she had rejected, and a night
chair containing what she had passed during the

night, she having been much worse during the
night, although she had been better on the preced-
ing evening. Some of the contents of the vessels
named were taken away. There were one or two
cups and some medicine bottles on the table. One
of the cups contained a little sago, which detective
officer Herne took possession of. From the 10th to
the 22d, while she was in the hospital, her state
was variable, with no marked change in her condi-
tion. The symptoms were great exhaustion, a total
want of appetite, and a continuance of the vomiting
and purging; but these latter were not so urgent
after the first few days she was there. On the
afternoon of Friday, the 22d, she was seized with

great pain in the abdomen, ;accompanied by ex-
treme collapse, from which she never recovered.
She died on the morning of Sunday the 24th. A
post 2nortenz examination of the body was made by
Mr. Clarence Pemberton six hours after death.

The lining membrane of the assephagus was deeply
tinged with yellow. At the lower end of the stomach
were two circular ulcers, which were found to cora-

municate with a tumour. On the duodenum there

were a few patches of superficial :redness. The
small intestines presented no other indication of
moment. On the ccecum there was a cancerous

tumour, which involved the coats of the bowel.
The tumour was between four and five inches one

way by an inch to an inch and a-half in thickness.
On the right side of this tumour there was a per-
foration through which the contents of the bowel
had passed into the peritoneal cavity. The dis-
ease was strictly confined to the ccecum. Several
portions of the bowel presented red patches. In
the peritoneal cavity there were several QUIICCS of
thickened fluid, giving rise to great irritation.
The intestines were remarkably empty. The other

organs were generally healthy.
To the Bench—Witness did not prescribe anti-
mony to the deceased on any occasion.
Cross-examined by Mr. Cobb—Witness's suspi-
cion of poisoning arose from the circumstance that
the symptoms of deceased's diseaqe wore such as he

could not account for on any ordinary hypothesis,
and these suspicions were confirmed by Dr. Ed-
wards' analysis on the 6th of June. He then gave
an antidote—tanic acid. His general treatment,
however, had proved so satisfactory in alleviating
the symptoms that he trusted to it, believing that
the vomiting and purging were the efforts of nature
to throw off the poison. In regard to antidotes he
had been guided by the extreme irritability of the
stomach, and the aversion to medicine evinced by
the deceased. He believed the poison was admi:

iistered in small but poisonous doses. Purging and
vomiting might have been caused by the disease
under which she laboured, but the mode of their oc-

currence and their violence were not accordant with
that cause. Had seen a case of similar cancer to

Lat of Mrs. James, but there purging was slight

and continuous, and was not attended by vomiting.
That case ended fatally. On a post mortem exami-
nation in that case there was no ulceration of the

stomach. In the case of Mrs. James there was
ulceration of the stomach. Witness said he was

quite wilting to admit that in the case of Mrs. James
there might have been vomiting produced by the
natural disease, but it would have been of a very
different character.
John Baker Edwards—On the ith of June exa-
mined a bottle of urine which he received from the
witness Dickens. In it he found a trace of anti.

mony. On the 9th of June received from Dr. Ca-
meron two bottles, one containing faeces. In this he
found a trace of antimony. The other bottle con-
tained vomit, and in it he found a considerable de-
posit of antimony. On the 12th of Jun e received from
Dickens a bottle marked " red vomit, Mrs. James,

Sunday." Found in it twe deposits of antimony.
Also received at the same time a bottle marked

" faeces, Mrs. James, Sunday."

Analysed this, and

found a trace of antimony.- On the -same day re-
ceived similar bottles, marked, " Mrs. James, Mon-

day," and found in them a trace of antimony,
Similar bottles were received by him marked " Tues-

day," and in these there was scarcely a trace of
antimony. Inspector Horne, the same day, gave
'witness a bottle containing port wine. That con-
tained no antimony. He also gave witness a cup
containing about a tablespoonful of cooked sago
food. He analysed the sago, and found it contained
two considerable deposits of antimony. On the 14th
received three bottles from Dickens marked " Wed-
nesday." These contained deposits from the body,
and in the urine found a trace of antimony ; in the
vomit none, but the faeces gave a trace of antimony.
Thursday's evacuations on being examined presented
distinct traces of antimony. Friday's evacuations
did not give indications of antimony, except in the

faeces, which showed a trace. Saturday's discharges
contained decided traces of antimony. On that day
received from Horne a quantity of uncooked sago,
which on examination did not show any trace of
antimony. Analyses of the discharges on each of
the days, from the time noticed to the death of the
deceased, gave alternating indication of the pre-
sence of antimony and of its absence. On the 25th
witness received vessels cont aining portions of the
viscera, brain, and other organs of the deceased. In
five of the intestines he received obtained five anti-
monial deposits ; from one kidney four antimonial
deposits ; from 31b. of the liver three antimonial
deposits ; from the brain and from 3oz. of the bile
no antimonial deposit ; from 4oz. of the blood a
distinct deposit of antimony; from a pint of fluid
from the stomach a distinct deposit of antimony ;
from 12oz. of fluid from the peritoneal cavity a trace
of antimony. The medicine marked " Costini" and
" Dyson" contained no antimony, nor did any of
the other medicines or wine which had been taken
from the residence of deceased at the time she was
removed to the hospital. The results were obtained
by digesting the fluids with 'hydrochloric acid and
the solids with hydrochloric acid and water. Hav-
ing obtained the fluids he added a strip of copper.
Both the copper and hydrochloric acid he had ana-
lysed and found free from antimony. The deposits
spoken of were thin films of metallic antimony.
which become depdsited on the surface of
the copper when the former metal is pre-
sent. As far as possible he observed the same
conditions with respect to the quantity of acid
and the duration of the experiments, and the
quantitive opinion he had given was founded on the
colour of the copper, which was coated. The de-
posits of the vomits were heated in a tube, by which
they became oxydised. The witness here entered
into a long and minute description of the different
processes and results which he had arrived at from
them, and also of the tests of accuracy which he
had applied to them.
Dr. Taylor, of Guy's Hospital, London, said he
had received some jars purporting to contain por-
tions of the viscera of Ann James on the 10th of
July. They contained portions of the stomach, the
diseased CO2CUM, a portion of the liver, one kidney,
the hearty and portions of the intestines. Subse-
quently received from Dr. Edwards portions of the
spleen and the lungs. Excepting the spleen and
the lungs, he divided the viscera, and delivered one
half to Dr. Millar. Examined the viscera for anti-
mony and for arsenic. Found antimony clearly in
the spleen, the lungs, and the liver. The other
portions of the viscera which he examined did not
yield any traces of antimony. Examined the liver
and lungs in the presence of Dr. Millar and Dr.
Edwards. With Dr. Millar also examined the
deposits on copper obtained by Dr. Edwards, and
also some sublimates on glass obtained by Dr. Ed-
wards in examining the viscera. He further exa-
mined with Dr. Millar the deposits found by Dr.
Edwards from the urine and evacuations. The re-
sult was that both were produced by some com-
pound of antimony in the body. He might add
that from finding it in these organs he formed the
opinion that the antimony had entered the body of
the deceased person during life. From the appear-
ance of the viscera there was no cause of death,
except the cancerous or scirrhous condition of the
ccecurn. Hcslad adopted the mode of analysis de-
scribed by Dr. Edwards, and both himself and Dr.
Millar were satisfied that the deposits were due to
antimony. From what he had heard at the post
mortem examination he should say the cause of
death was rupture of the diseased ccecum. The
symptoms of vomiting and purging were such as
the administration of small dozes of antimony would
cause, and, hearing that antimony was found in the
vomited matter as well as in the faeces, he should
attribute those symptoms to the presence of anti-
mony, but how far that might have contributed to
the death of the deceased be found it impossible to
say, There was extensive disease of the ccecum,
and antimony given to a person labouring under a
chronic disease of this nature would be likely to
produce great exhaustion and accelerate a fatal ter-
mination. How far that effect might .have been
produced in this case he could not say, not having
seen the patient during life.
To the Bench—He did not know of any one so
likely to judge correctly of that as the medical at-
tendant of the patient. Any answer he could give
would, under the circumstances, be merely specu-
lative. He agreed with Dr. Cameron as to the
opinion he had expressed on the vomiting and purg-
ing. The ulcerated state of the stomach might pro-
duce vomiting. The difficulty he had here to ac-
count for was the presence of antimony in the
matter vomited.
To Mr. Cobb--A eery small dose of tartar emetic