The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-17 00:00:00

CRIMINA

'HIS DAY.)

(Before the Lord Chief Baron.)

- TRIAL OF DR. SMETHURST.—THIRD DAY.
The trial was resumed at nine o'clock this morning.
Dr. Alfred Suxine Taylor, examined by Mr. Bodkin,
said—l am Professor of Chemistry at Guy's Hospital, and
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and of the Royal
Society. I have had a large experience for many years. On
Sunday, May 1, Mr. Buzzard called on me about one o'clock,
at my private residence. He brought with him a parcel
wrapped in paper. He told me that it contained two bottles,
and I ascertained that it did so. I only looked at one
bottle, marked No. 2. It was sealed with a Turkish
seal. In consequence of a communication made to me by
Mr. Buzzard, I consented to examine one of the bottles. I
took out the bottle which came first, and that was
No. 2. The bottle was opened and two drachms of its
contents poured out. I applied a process in the first in-
stance. The apparatus consisted of copper wire, muriatic
acid, distilled water, and an ordinary test-tube. The acid
and water were boiled. I had ascertained that the vessels
in which I testod were perfectly clean. On applying the
process I found that a metallic substance of a greyish
colour was attached to the wire. That indicated arsenic, or
mercury. On obtaining that deposit I proceeded no fur-
ther at that time. I then desired to have the authority of
a magistrate for proceeding with the analysis. The bottle
No. 2 was re-sealed by Mr. Buzzard in my presence, and
taken away by him ; he also took away the bottle No. 1.
After Mr, Hazzard had left I proceeded to examine the
contents. Application had been made to me in reference l

to the life of the lady, and I was told that it had reference

to a living lady ; so, although it was Sunday, I pro-
ceeded with the investigation. I continued my experiments
by boiling copper gauze. I applied the gauze, and then
examined it, and saw a substance closely resembling me-
talic arsenic. I then obtained crystals from the gauze and
tubes. I had not the slightest doubt that the tubes con-

tained arsenic. [The tubes were handed to the Lord Chief
Baron, who said he saw the crystals.] I examined the
crystals by the microscope, and having tested them further,
obtained proof that it was really arsenic. On the evening
of the same day Mr. Buzzard came back, and brought back
both bottles, with a letter from Mr. Penrhyn, the ma-
gistrate, authorising me to proceed further with the analy-
sis. On the following morning I finished the examination
of No. 2. After that, having taken two ounces of the liquid,
I made a further examination of it by the same process,
thoroughly to satisfy myself about the arsenic, and I found
I was correct. I obtained drops on a larger scale. I came
to the conclusion that there was less than a quarter of a
grain of arsenic in the whole of the four ounces which I
tried. I made a subsequent analysis and I found copper, a
mere trace, just enough to say that there was copper.
There was no trace of antimony, mercury, or bismuth. It
was the copper pill which the deceased took which probably
caused the copper I found. The process I used would have
detected antimony, bismuth, copper or mercury if it had
been there. I examined the organic matter of bottle No. 2,
by the microscope, and found it to consist of fibrous matter
and feculent matter—food mixed with bile and blood.
Having examined the evacuation I come to the conclusion
that it was that of a person suffering from the administration
of arsenic. I examined the contents of No. 1 the next
morning. It merely contained biliary matter, with mucas,
and no metallic matter at all. On Thursday, the sth May,
I received a parcel from Inspector M'lntyre and a jar sealed
up. That was found afterwards to contain a portion of the
viscera—the stomach unopened, the spleen, the large and
small intestines, the liver, part of the esophagus or pullet,
and the uterus. On the 7th of May I received a bottle con-
taining the two kidneys, and a small bottle containing
blood, said to have been taken from the heart. I also
received from M'lntyre a number of medicine bottles,
pill boxes, and other articles, making a total number of
twenty-eight. Others followed on the 18th of May, chiefly
medicines supplied from the surgery. I examined the
contents of all those 28 bottles and packages. I first ex-
amined the uterus which was in an impregnated state, then
the kesophagus, of which only a portion was sent. It indi-
cated irritation in the throat. There was no arsenic or
antimony in the throat. (The witness was entering
with great minuteness into a description of the state of the
various parts, when the Lord Chief Baron checked him and
desired him to confine himself to what bore on the case.)
The smaller part of the middle intestines contained the
largest portion of antimony. There was antimony above
and below, and some was found in the coecum. I found
some in the kidney. There were traces of it in the blood
from the heart, and some in the blood from the urine.
I was assisted by Dr. Odling, and we calcu-
bated that the whole quantity of antimony found did not ex-
ceed half a grain. In the clecum, besides the presence of
antimony, I found that it was ulcerated, and the small
members nearly destroyed throughout. The large intestines
were ulcerated more or less throughout. The most remark-
able appearance was the almost total destruction of the liv-
ing membrane. The blood in the stomach indicated some
great cause of irritation. I next proceeded to examine the
contents of certain pill boxes which I received on the 7th of
May from Mr. M'lntyre. I was informed what they con-
tained, and I found the statements made to me were correct.
There were four copper pills, ono of which was taken for
analysis.

The Lord Chief Baron—What do cou mean by copper
pills ?

Witness—Pills containing sulphate of copper with pow-
dered opium. In the wadding taken from one of the boxes
I found the slightest trace of a white powder, which might
have been mercury, silver, or bismuth. I then examined
a large number of bottles and powders. There were two
bottles of bismuth. One was unopened, and the other had
about an ounce and a half taken from it. In other bottles
I found prussic acid, sulphuric acid, quinine, and other
things which corresponded with what I had been told. I
also examined some sugar and tapioca brought me by the
inspector, but I found nothing in it.
The Lord Chief Baron (to Mr. Bodkin)—ls it necessary
that I should take that down ?
Witness continued—This bottle, No. 5, was brought to
me by Mr. M'lntyre. I found it to contain 355 grains of
chlorate of potash, of the sort used in making explosive
mixtures and percussion caps. Bottle 21 corresponded
with another containing a genuine mixture. It contained
about one half of water of a saline taste. I had half
of it boiled and tested by Reinsch's process. I found
on testing it that the copper was immediately de.,
stroyed, and I thought I detected arsenic. I then
put the bottle aside, thinking there was some-
thing remarkable about it, and wishing to have the
assistance of another chemist. Dr. Odling and myself
afterwards examined it, and found that there was neither
arsenic nor antimony. The arsenic which I thought I saw
had come from the copper gauze, which being destroyed,
the arsenic was set free. Chlorate of potash is a saline
mixture and slightly diuretic. I have heard the evidence
gi

yen in this case as to tbe symptoms under which this lady
laboured, the remedies applied, and the result of the post
mortem examination. Taking the whole of the circum-
stances into consideration I can ascribeher death to nothing
but the action of the irritant poisons.

Cross• examined by Sergeant Parry—l have been exa-
mined several times in this case—twice before the magis-
trate and once before the coroner. I found traces of
arsenic in bottle No. 2. I always reckoned it less than
the sixth part of a grain. I used copper gauze for my test,
and also copper foil and wire. It was the same as I used for
testing bottle 21. I tested the copper before my experi-
ments. In testing the contents of bottle 21 I found that I
deposited the arsenic on the copper wire myself, but I must
say that that bottle was the only one that contained chlorate
of potash, and the effect of that was to destroy the test.
Dr. Odling made an examination of bottle 21, and he came

to the same conclusion as myself, that arsenic was present.
We afterwards discovered that we were both wrong, and
that no arsenic was present. I did on my oath state that
I discovered arsenic in bottle 21 before the coroner more
than once. I was wrong. I have had the wire in my
possession for 14 years, I have used portions of the, wire
before for tests, and shall do so again, but I will take care
to see there is no chlorate of potash in that which I shall
be called upon to test.
The deposition of Dr. Taylor before the Coroner, at the

inquest held at Richmond, was then read, in which he
stated that he had examined the whole of the bottles, and
with the exception of that numbered 21 no traces of arsenic
were found, but in that bottle the poison was present, and
that it was so mixed that it might be swallowed without
the slightest knowledge of its deadly nature.
The deposition taken before the magistrate was then
read, in which Dr. Taylor stated that the death of the lady
was caused by the administration of small dozes of irritant
poison.

Cross-examined—At the time I gave my evidence before
the magistrates I firmly believed that arsenic was present
in bottle 21, and that it had been placed there by some-
body else, and not by the test I myself applied.
I first discovered my mistake about the arsenic in bottle 21
about the 7th of June. Dr. Odling took some of the liquid
s•on after to make an independent test. We both, in com-
pany with Professor Brand, made another examination of
the contents of bottle 21. We used two teaspoonfuls of the
mixture in using Marsh's test, and one to Reinche's test.
It was then discovered arsenic was not present. 'ln the
case of Mr. Wooler, who was tried in 1855 for
the murder of his wife by , slow poison, I went
down to give evidence by order of the Government.
There was no doubt then about arsenic being present. It
was found in the tissues and all parts of the body.
The Lord Chief Baron—Are you, brother Parry, seeking
to prove that the witness made a blunder in that case ?
Sergeant Parry—Oh, no, mylord ; Dr. Tayler has frankly
admitted the blunder he made in this case. lam now about
to examine him upon another point.
Cross-examination continued—ln the case of Mrs.
Wooler I did not examine the stomach. I did not see it at
all. As a result of a slow arsenical poisoning all the roots
of the vessels would be gorged with blood ; so it was in this
case. _

Sergeant Parry—l wish you would merely answer my
question.
Witness—I wish to state the whole truth.
Sergeant Parry—l asked you a question, and you answer
it, saying at the same time " so it was in this case."
The Lord Chief Baron—l think Dr. Taylor was per-
fectly right in giving the answer he did.
Cross-examination continued—A hacking cough is one
of the symptoms of arsenical poisoning, where there is irrita-