The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-18 00:00:00

grains.

Witness—Yes.
Sergeant Parry—ln cases of slow antimonial poisoning,
supposing it to continue for some weeks, would it produce
a cold clammy perspiration ?
Witness—Yes ; a deathlike coldness.
Sergeant Parry—Would slow arsenical poisoning produce
a softness of the liver ?
Witness—l should think so, from the records of Dr.
Taylor.

Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine—l was called in
Palmer's case to prove that strychnia must have been found
in the body and in the blood if it had been administered.
I have had some anxiety about the effect of poisons, and
have have practised it upon animals to relieve myself of the
anxiety. Dr. Richardson, the last witness, was also a wit-
ness for the defence in Palmer's case.
Re-examined by Sergeant Parry—l think using untested
copper for delicate experiments is decidedly wrong. I use
electrotype copper—that is, pure copper, and nothing but
copper. I think it would be most dangerous to conduct
experiments for the detection of poison with untested cop-
per, more especially whore a man's life is concerned. I
confined my evidence at Palmer's trial to a toxicological
fact—that, if strychnine had been administered, it ought
to have been discovered.
The Lord Chief Baron—Brother Parry, we don't want
to try that case over again.
Sergeant Parry—No, my lord. I hal another question
on my lips, but I abstain from putting it.
Dr. John William Lewis Tuticombe, examined by Mr.
Gifford—l am a.cloctor of medicine, and was formerly prin•
cippl pupil of Professor Liebig. I have received the grew
Prussian medal. I read the description of the post mortem
examination of Isabella Bankes. In my judgment her
death is compatible with natural disease. I have met with
cases of pregnancy accompanied with vomiting and diarrhaaa.
The Lord Chief Baron—ln its early stages?
Witness—Yes; I have known such symptoms to attend
all its stages.
Examination continued—l think, taking the whole of
the circumstances connected with the death of the lady,
they are incompatible with slow arsenical poisoning. I
also think they are incompatible with antiruonial poisoning.
I concur with Dr. Richardson and Dr. Roberts, and I
quite concur with them in their opinion. If death was
occasioned by arsenic or antimony I most certainly should
expect to find it in the tissues. I attribute Miss Bankes'
death to diphtheretic dysentery.
Sergeant Ballantine—Have you seen any of the cases
of diphtheretic dysentery in London ?
Witness—Yes ; two.
Sergeant Ballantine—And both cases recovered ?
Witness—No ; one died.
Sergeant Ballantine—Was the body opened ?
Witness—l quite recollect it was.
Sergeant Ballantine—Will you tell me of the exact lo
cality in which that circumstance occurred ?
Witness—ln Stratton-street, Bloomsbury.
Sergeant Ballantine—ls diptheretic dysentry mentioned
in any particular book, Hooper's or copeland's Dictionary,
for instance ?
Witness—l don't know those books.
Sergeant Ballantine—Or Hooper's " Vade Mecum,"
edited by Dr. Guy ?
Witness—l don't read such books.
Sergeant Ballantine—You dtn't read such books ?
Witness—No, they are compilations.
Sergeant Ballantine—Where did you say you were a
lecturer ?
Witness—At the St. George's School of Medicine.
Re-examined by Mr. Giffard—l have analyzed grey
powder. I find it to consist of ten distinct substances,
among them arsenic and antimony. I also examined bis-
muth produced from M'Culloch and Squires. I found anti-
mony and arsenic in it.
"'The Lord Chief Baron—Do you agree with the opinion
of Dr. Richardson and Dr. Rogers ?
Witness—l do.
Sergeant Ballantine—Do you think the poison in the
grey powder caused the death of Miss Bankes
Witness—No.
Sergeant Ballantine—Or had any effect on the symptoms
of the deceased ?
Witness—Not the least.
Sergeant Ballantine—Had the poison in the bismuth
anything to do with it ?
Witness—No.
Sergeant Parry—Did you ever hear the absurd sugges-
tion that it had except from my learned friend ?
Witness—Never.
Sergeant Ballantine—Then why was the analysis made
Dr. Francis Webb—l am a doctor of medicine of the
College of Edinburgh, a physician in practice in London,
and a lecturer at the Grosvenor School of Medicine. I have
paid great attention to the evidence in this case, and I am
of opinion, from all that I have heard, that the deceased
died from natural causes. In very severe cases of vomiting
in early pregnancy he had known it necessary to procure
abortion. I think the copper, nitrate of silver, and bismuth
most incorrect medicines to administer during early preg-
nancy. I consider that Miss Bankes died from dysentery,
made worse by early pregnany. A large proportion of the-
knowledge of poisons is derived from experiment on the lower
animals. Chlorate of potash is used as a wash for the
mouth in cases of foul breath. I think if arsenic or anti-
mony were mixed with it, it would not in any way affect
its action. In case of slow arsenical or antimonial poison-
ing, to find poison in the tissues, I agree with Dr. Taylor
that finding it in the liver would be the great criterion. I
have heard a description of the small intestines and stomach,
which is not, in my judgment, compatible with slow arseni-
cal poisoning. In cases of sluw irritant poisoning,
the
coating of the stomach is very much inflamed, and pro-
bably ulcerated. I should not expect to find the lungs
perfectly healthy in cases of slow arsenical poisoning.
I am of opinion that Miss Bankes died from natural disease.
Sergeant Parry—You have heard Dr. Taylor say that
he found 100th part of a grain of arsenic in two teaspoons-
full of a certain mixture and by multiplying it by the num-
ber of teaspoonsful in the bottle, he so arrived at the total
amount of the poison therein contained. What value do
you attach to such an opinion ?
Witness—l consider it a mere guess, and of no im-
portance whatever.
Cross-examined by Sergeant Ballantine—Dysentery I
believe to be very common in this country. I think the
effect of a quarter of a grain of copper pill, given to a
person in the state of the deceased, would increase irrita-
tion. In the symptoms of Miss Bankes that I have heard
described in court during the program of this trial, the idea