New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-01-27

tie sudienee by George Wcoi, Esq, the President OF
the faculty. Of the College he stated that Professor
Parker, WHO was Professor OF New.Y0rs College al
also OF Harvard CSleSe, would deliver course Of lee
lures en- Medical Jurisprudence and he on the part OF
the fscuny ofthe College iaved the ycrng men study
ing for both the medical end legal Professions as also
tie members of these professions ard also the public
generally attend them, he considered the know
ledge which they would convey would be Of great al.
vsnissc 70 the community. Professor Parker then
came forward lie said he proposed delivering course
Of lectures On Medical jurisprudence. OF one branch
Of this particular science his former avocaoas of life
had given him some knowledge but he could not pre-
tend 70 much acquaintance with the oher-the merely
medical part and for his treanen, OF both in conunc
ticn, he CLAIMED their indulgence for any impereeaons
they might discover The subject is law and medicine as
we meet them in the administration Of the and the
practice OF the other These two, in conjunction with
each other had been called by MEDICAL Jurspru
dence ana by others, tor instance, Or. Smith, Of Len
der, II had been designated variousy, IS State POLITICAL
ard forensic medicine, and medical police. The Lee
here explained the views which different writers
had ken this subject and said that the French called
Il ntGetHs ks ale which, though proper designation IN
TIE French language could not well AZ least literally Oe
translated INFO Ours, legal medicine would not
express the idea intended would the medicine ot
the law be appropriate, and IL would az the same
time be an awkward expression. Tie thought that
this bTsrch OF medical science under different heading
from any under which il bad been ~ YET treated, aud
bis erdtavor do would not he hoped be imputed to
dssire for innovation vanity but % The true cause,
which bis desire 10 have better understood than
IL was present To understand subject perfectly it
Necessary thstt should be properly arranged and
clearly treated The term atdcers kgaie on the Cont
ncnt was mere applicable 10 that science as prGctlccd
there than here OF in England. On the ath OF per.
sons there, there were regular officers of the med
icsl profession whose business IL was % hold IN
vcstsatcns. and TO take evidence "a 70 the causes
which might have led to death, aud the reports made
by Ilys,isns sfer holding such inyesuyst0ns was
received legal evidence in Courts Of Law. Tc
Whole proceeding acquired legal character because
the Physician Surgeon had then an official character
Neither in England in America does like character
Sttach itself any reports made OF enquiries into the
cause OF death. We have an officer called Coroner
but bis duty is TO investigate IN case of sudden death
or deaths produced by violence poison and then all
he does Is only preparatory 10 further investigation
when his report Is not received as evidence but he hun
seit must appear ss witness and be examined Ia
where ply stefan l. examined there il no differ
made between him and any other ordinary wit
rofs, only IN 60 far bis medical skill may entto him
TO. but his testimony has no real legal eject or official
character has been suggested that there should be
tCdy OF physicians officially appointed throughout this
Union 10 hold legal investigations ntothc cause OF DEATH
but then the utility Of this may well be doubted where
parry spirit much preyails-and II Is greatly TO be
cared that the fact Of physicians elections 70 such
flee would not prove hs ness for II, nor his talent
TO discharge It's duties II might have an evil tendency
in the profession IL elf and tend TO lower is intellectual
standard. and indeed political graduate not likely
10 prove good scholar. Beside this he feared there
good deal OF envy in the medical profession
though he heard otany such existing IN Newlork
Qsugbicr) Medical testimony alone does net cover
the whole ground Of the conviction between law and
medicine. The law itself IL divided into dlnercn.
branches, Municipal Admiralty Mercantile Criminal
&c, &, and Unto each OF these medical testimony
MediCs testimony The Medical profession was
alse divided into different branches Clinical Surgery,
&C., and Veterinary with respect TO the lower aalnas
novery hsanch medic al TESTING ny might at any tine be
required OF the practitioner and he desired 10 appear
in respt ctable light (and said that medical uicn
had peculiar piidc IN doing all things they did wcn)
they would eBdeayor 10 know medical jurisprudence;
for there not single branch OF the medical science
which might not at time or another be brought to
aid the law. Not time from the cradle 70 the grave
from the embryo state TO the last trOb oil he-whether
conception has has net taken place the state OF the
icptus-Gnd death whether death has been produced
by disease violence Ia cases oil miscarriage, whatf
er the infant born alive whether unlawful means
had been used TO produce DEATH the validity OF the much
Disputed ydrcsatc test and the child breathet wheh
er it vas simple respiration giving up whatever OF life
itbTough with into the world, whether the breath
ing wss such as would induce 10 belief Of health and
strength Medical testimony came in aagan In cases OF
violence and in doubtful cases all the testimony that
the Couts of law could rely with any certainty was
medical testimony, by that only could 1t be shown
from the nature OF the wound, whether IL inflicted
by the persons own hand, and a OF suicideOr
IL inflicted by another, and then nj homicide
AsO In of poison, and whether BY iynorance or
design quackery the latter Of which is prevalent
that Is only wonderful how people could be luat1a.
ted resort to It, Also In OF property where
iunscy can only be proved by medical men. And how
often have men been put on til for murder where u
macy hes formed the only excuse and whether the al
legged unacy real pretended could be only proved
ty medical testimony. The law Is indebted to medical
science for saving IL from committing many sacrifices
innocent men and il IL certsn that many have been
sacrificed aud lost their lives from want OF medical
knowledge The medical science Is In turn indebted 10
the dead for great deal Of knowledge for the grave has
off wen nm lfs IN
character depended often entirely medical testmO.
ny and was then but proper and just that aknowed.c
Of 20 important branch Of the medical science should
be known among the profession physicisn may think
II only necessary that he should be able 20 ascertain
The cause Of diseases and apply cure but this not
tIhoient In many cases property to large amount
depended not alone in curing but the state Of
the patient. The Lecturer then instanced different
cases where property would be changed by henhuencc
medical testimony. la case Of the wife bringing pro
perry the husband and she died without ssue pro-
perry went back 10 her relations When II could be
proved she had living issue, the husband would
have lie interest in the estate ltwOud not do for the
medical 20 say the trial That he AT hs
could not restore lie and be took no more trouble He
should have sscertaned exactly the state Of al whom
be called on TO attend rs he knew little what I'M
poutnnce might terward be attached to his punctuaty
lie aso referred 10 the OF Ete DeaDs, whose
the great Scotch novelist had taken for the foundation
oi dreadful story and also 10 the Of young
mgr, who executed In Portsmouth, New Hamphre,
in 1852 ON charge similar TO the Midlothian. By a
stsiute Of Jsmes the let, Of England, any femaless.
pected Of conceehng the birth Of a child deemed
IN law guilty OF murder Unless they could prove that
the child net born alive. The evidence Of medical
men not only important, but Il was importsnttia
they should know the kind Of testimony which was
likely 20 be admitted into a court OF aw-or frym
went Of this knowledge medical men became conised
between the conendng advocates be often inter
ruped and corrected became confused and did give
Es testimony clear or with credn 10 himself II se be-
testy with counsel the matter worse for il
seldom that he came Oh victorious. Dr. smith, Of
London said he many III effects come from this
want Of legal knowledge in medical men, that he would
rather teach il grstuitously TO them, himself, than
them without IT, The beet witnesses women and
the woIa lawyers that IL could not be said that
extensive knowledge Of the law necessary 10 make
good witness Yer some necessary The lecturer
then 20 explain the importance Of medical tes
tnoBy, further society. both Of property
and Me-shd in conclusion stated tst be would IN tae
Of his lectures introduce several csses IN which
this tei tiIncny was OF the greatest importance.
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