The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-16 00:00:00

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Dutch Papers, Nov. 14.

A QUACK DOCTOR COMMITTED
FOR MANSLAUGHTER.

_
An inquest was held yesterday on the body of Mrs.
Mary Harris (late of Aston-hall, Shropshire), before Mr.
11. Churton, at Birkenhead, in consequence of the fol-
lowing certificate having been sent to the Coroner :
" We, the undersigned medical officers of Birkenhead'
at the request of Mr. Booth, the constable, have made in-
quiries relative to the death of Mrs. Mary Harris, of
Aston hall, near Wein, and find that the deceased was
attended by a person of the name of Port, an unqualified
practitioner residing at Tranmere, who professes to cure
cancer without the aid of the knife. She died, after the
application of two plasters, under symptoms such as
might be produced by the absorption of arsenic.

" B. VZUGHAN, M.D.

" T. C. FOULKE'S, Surgeon."
The Coroner issued his warrant for the disinterment
of the body, which, after some difficulty, wm obtained,
and a jury was empannelled on the 4th instant, but ad-
journed to yesterday in order to give time for the neces-
sary inquires and analyses to be made.
The facts in the certificate briefly stated were given
in evidence by Dr. Vaughan and Mr. Foulkes, and
they were clearly of opinion that there were no marks
of internal disease sufficient to cause death, except
such as were the effects of some irritant poison.
The whole of the internal viscera was healthy
with the exception of the lungs, which were slightly
emphysematous. On the right breast there was a large
slough about the size of a breakfast cup, extending
about one inch into the substance of the flesh, and in
this breast was a tumour, not partaking of a malignant
character, about the size of a hazle-nut. (This was the
part treated by Mr. Port for cancer.) The breast, sto-
mach, and its contents, as well as several other portions
of the viscera, were removed, and placed in the hands of
Professor Brett, of the Liverpool School of Medicine, for
the purpose of being analyzed. Both witnesses were
clearly of opinion that death had been caused by some
irritant poison, and that had arsenic been applied to the
breast, it might have been absorbed into the system, and
would have produced the appearances and symptoms
which presented themselves.
Professor Brett stated, that he had made a careful
analysis of the breast, the stomach, its contents, and the
other portions of the viscera which had been delivered
to him. He was, however, unable to detect arsenic in
the internal portions of the body or their contents, but
in the breast he clearly discovered it. This he obtained
by what is termed the silrer test, Marsh's test not being
delicate enough. He added, that if arsenic had been
applied externally to the breast of the deceased, it wonld
be absorbed into the system, affect the stomach, and
produce death, but that the period between the applica-
tion and the death would entirely depend upon the
susceptibility of the patient and other circumstances.
Mr. Port pffered to produce a number of persons who
were in attendance, and who, he stated, had been cured
of cancer by the application of the same plasters. He
also offered to produce before the jury, several cancers
which had been extracted by them, but the Coroner de-
cided that such evidence could not be received.

The CORONER, in summing up the case to the jury,
said if they believed the evidence laid before them, it was
their duty to find Mr. Port guilty of manslaughter.
The jury, after half•an-hour's consultation, returned
that verdict, and Mr. Port was forthwith committed,
under the coroner's warrant, to take his trial at the next
Chester assizes.
[We understand the prisoner has amassed consider-
able property in the neighbourhood of Birkenhead by
his practice as a medical man, vast numbers of persons
having placed themselves under his treatment, including
persons of rank and title, and much larger fees having
been paid to him than would be given to regular and
authorised practitioners. He at once admitted before
the Coroner that he had no diploma as a medical man.]