The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-20 00:00:00

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was " Cartwright's antimony." We have none in solution
except antimony wine.
Mr. Julius, jun., was called, and merely proved the con-
veying the bottles containing the evacuations to Mr. Buz.
zard's, and there delivering them to a female servant, Mr.
Buzzard being from home at the time.
Catherine Murray proved receiving the 'bottles and
delivering them to her master, Mr. Buzzard.
Mr. Buzzard, a medical gentleman residing at Great
Marlborough-street, London, said—l took the bottles to
Dr. Taylor for examination. He refused to do so without
authority. He, however, said he would try Reinsch's test.
It was done, and the bright copper wire, which was im-
mersed in the mixture, became coated with a grey sub-
stance, which proved the presence of some mineral poison.
Thomas Macintyre said—l arrested the prisoner. I took
away all the bottles containing medicine and handed them
to Dr. Taylor. They were never out of my possession
until I gave them to Dr. Taylor. I found the small case
of homoeopathic medicines (produced) in a box, the key of
which was found on Dr. Smethurst.
The witness then produced 27 bottles of different sizes,
containing liquids, and several small packets found at Dr.
Smethurst's.
Dr. Julius was here called and selected one numbered 27,
which was similar to that sent from his surgerY to Mrs.
Smethurst.
Mr. Ballantine ordered this cork to be withdrawn' and
then asked Dr. Julius to ascertain whether it was similar
to the medicine ordered to be prepared for Mrs. Smethurst.
D. Julius tasted the liquid, and said it was. It contained
both quinine and gentian.
Mr. Willtam Easter, clerk of St. Mark's Church, Ken-
nington, produced the book of marriages celebrated in titet
parish. There is an entry of a marriage between Thomas'
Smethurst and Mary Durham, on the 10th of March, 1828.
Mr. Ballantine said he wished the evidence to be taken
down, as:he would deal with the handwriting by and bye.
A considerable delay here occurred owing to the absence
of Dr. Todd. After waiting until nearly half-past two,
and that gentleman not arriving, Mr. Ballantine said he
would proceed with the examination of Dr. Taylor, but that
gentleman would prefer hearing Dr. Todd before he (Dr.
Taylor) completed his evidence.
Professor Taylor then took his place, and his former
deposition was read. In answer to questions put to
him by Mr. Ballantine, he said —On the sth, 7th,
and 9th of May I received about 40 bottles
to analyse. I have examined the whole of the
bottles, and I do not find arsenic in any of them excepting
one. The whole, with the exception I have mentioned,
merely contained medicine—nothing of a noxious nature.
The phial marked No. 5 was unlabelled. It contained 355
grains of chlorate of potash. It is a salt used for making
lucifer matches, percussion caps, and detonating powder.
It is used occasionally in dysentery, diarrhcea, cholera, and
scarlet fever. It is an innocent salt, there being
nothing poisonous in sit. Its nature is diuretic. It
passes rapidly through the kidneys into the spine.
It tends to purify the system from all noxious matter. If
poison was given in a small quantity of the mixture the
surplus quantity would be carried off with the urine. I
have never in all my experience heard of it being mixed
with poison. It is soluble in cold and warm water. Bottle
No. 21 was half full when I received it. It looked
like water. I tasted it. It is like cooling saline
mixture ; no smell; it is pleasantly saline. I detected
nothing wrong in tasting. I evaporated some on
glass, and examined some by the microscope. I found it
was not tartar emetic. I applied every test for arsenic that
I considered proper. All the tests failed to show the
presence of arsenic. The tests informed me there
was something in the liquid I had never met with be-
fore. There is a test called Reinsch's, it is generally suc-
cessful in detecting arsenic in liquid, the arsenic
being deposited during the boiling on copper wire. The
wire I inserted in the liquid disappeared altogether. I
then, finding that it disappeared so fast, plunged in a piece
of copper, and did not let it remain in so long as the former
piece. I dried and heated the copper gauze, and I ob-
tained arsenic. The gauze is partly destroyed by the test.
Having ascertained this much, I thought it important Dr.
Odling should be present at further experiments. We then
sought to destroy this noxious agent which was baffling
us. We put in piece after piece a copper until we removed
all the chlorine, and on the last piece of gauze the arsenic
was deposited. I have no doubt chlorate of potash was
present. I extracted it in crystals. I calculated there was
about a grain of arsenic in an ounce of the mixture. That
is of a gran to a teaspoonful. The bottle would contain,
supposing it to be full, 6oz.—that would be 48 teaspoonsful.
I was struck by the fact elicited, and I then referred to a
memorandum of the medicines prescribed, and I then
found that the bottle had contained quinine, sulphuric acid,
prussic acid, chloric mther, and an infusion of gentian. I
found out that not one of those substances were in it.
The taste was such that no one would suspect its deadly
nature. The quantity of arsenic was so small that it might
be mixed with any liquid, and swallowed without the
slightest knowledge. The bottle was half full when I re-
ceived it. It is my opinion that if the mixture was admi-
nistered continuously, the effect would be to produce nausea,
vomiting, pain in the bowels, with purging; and if doses
were repeated, it would ultimately produce chronic in-
flammation and ulceration of the bowels, and the discharges
would contain blood and mucous. If it was continued,
such a source of injuryfrould succumb to no treatment at
all, and it would lead to death by exhaustion. The arsenic
I produced was what is called white arsenic. It is not a
medicinal preparation. With respect to bottles Nos. 1 and
2, containing the evacuations—l took No. 2 first to search
for copper. There appeared to be a slight trace of copper
mixed with the blood. The other, No. 1, only contained
biliary matter.
Dr. Todd having arrived, the examination of Professor
Taylor was interrupted, and his examination commenced.
He said, when I first saw the deceased she was in much
pain and had a terrified look, and was much emaciated.
She looked younger than she really was. I examined the
abdomen, and discovered a remarkable contraction of the
abdominal muscles, which appeared to me to indicate ex,
treme irritation in the intestines. If I made the slightest
pressure I found she resisted immediately with force, and
that it increased the rigidity of the muscles. She had a
small, quick pulse, and evident indications of great exhaus-
tion. She complained of a disagreeable sensation in her
throat as if she had a ball there. I had received ample
information about her case from Dr. Julius. Dr. Julius
and Dr. Smethurst told me she had long been suffering
from diarrhwa and from vomiting. A number of remedies
had been tried. I heard they had tried bismuth and nitrate
of silver. Nitrate of copper had been talked about, but not
tried. Opium had been tried. I understand, and it made
a deep impression on me, that the accused was impatient of
the continuance of remedies ; he suggested frequent
changes. After every change the symptoms were worse—
particularly after the nitrate of silver. I retired from the
room to consult with Dr. Julius, and I said to him at once
that I had a strong opinion that it was a case of arsenical
poisoning. It was my strong suspicion that such was the
case. I had not materials on which to form an
opinion, but I had, as I said before, a strong suspicion.
It was my belief that some irritant was being introduced
into the system, which prevented the diarrhcea yielding to
the proper remedies.
Mr. Ballantine—You have not examined the viscera ?
Witness—No.
Mr. Ballantino—From the symptoms would you think
that a post mortem examination would give:arsenic as the
result if the posion had been given ?
Witness—l must decline answering that question, as it
will involve me in another part of the case with which I do
not wish to interfere.
Mr. Ballantine—lf a teaspoonful of a mixture containing
chlorate of potash and the eighth part of a grain of arsenic
wore administered, what effect would be produced ?
Witness—lt would keep up continual irritation, and if
keptup continuously death would ensue throughexhaustion.
I decline involving myself any further in this investiga-
tion, but have no objection to hear the report of the post
mortent examination, and then give an opinion.
Mr. Palmer, assistant-surgeon to Charing-cross Hos-
pital, here read his report of a post mortem examination of
the deceased.
Dr. Taylor said he had also seen the intestines, and
found the larger membranes were entirely destroyed by ul-
ceration. He also found antimony in the kidneys, in some
blood taken from the heart, and some in the jar in which
the viscera was sent to him. No antimony was found
either in the liver or spleen. No arsenic was found in the
viscera.
Dr. Todd said the details he had heard confirmed him in
the suspicions he at first entertained.
After some further evidence had been received the further
hearing of the charge was adjourned to Monday next.