The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-05-15
or THE CRY COUNCIL.

PROCEEDINGS or THE CRY COUNCIL.
TUESDAY, Nav IA.
FIRST BRANcH.-Present-JoHN G. BLAcKBURN
Esq, PRESIDENT, and all the members.-Mr.
BANDEL presented a petition from II. f. Bollman
asking for remuneration for horse killed on Pratt
street by gun shot on the 10Th ult; referred -
Mr.. STAYLoR called up the ordinance authorizing
the City Commissioners to grade and pave the
city's portion of the streets around PattersOn's
Park by employing hands by the day instead of
doing the work by contract; passed.--Adjourned
SECOND BRANCH.--Branch met. CHARLES J.
BAKER ESQ President, in the Chair, and all the
members present. The following message was
received from his Honor the Mayor:
MAYORS OFFICE, CITY HALL,
BALTIMORE May 16
To the Honorable the Members Of the First and Second
Branches Of the City Council:
GENTLEMEN In pursuance of resolution passed by
your honorable body in relation the supposed poison
ing of of the troops stationed at the Relay House
addressed note to DIR. c II. Bradford the city phys
can requesting him to make the necessary investigation
the matter He has transmitted the enclosed report
me, which respectfully submit for your considera
tion. Respectfully.
GEO. VIM BROWN, Mayor.
Accompanying this is the report of DR.. Bradford,
which states that he visited the camp at the Relay
on Monday afternoon last, in compliance with the
request of his Honor the Mayor, and that every
facility for investigating the facts in regard to
the poisoning in question was afforded
him by General Butler and Surgeon Smith,
the physician who had special charge of this
case; that from Surgeon Smith be learned that
the young man. ON tne Qay oil DIS attack, naO,
from his admission, eaten freely of pies
cakes and pickles, and that in a short time there
after be was seized with pains in the stomach,
which quickly followed by spasms of all the
voluntary muscles, which spasms continued with
greater or less severity for three-quarters of an
hour, when they, in great measure subsided-
From the character of the spasms and
the strong resemblance to those induced on
the lower animals by the of strych-
nine. Surgeon Smith was forced to believe that
some Of the preparations of that drug had been ad-
mnistered in the case in question, and to this
opinion he still firmly adberes-and that it is not
at all remar kable thar, under the train of symp-
toms presented, and without more minute exam,
ination than appears to have been made, the
cass in question should have been regarded as one
of poison by trychniDe, although careful exam
inntion brings the conviction that there exists
DIR. bradford then had interview with the young
man, from whom he learned that at the time of his
sickness the troops were entirely without tents;
that the weather was COO, especially at night that
much rain had fallen aad the ground was very wet;
that on the night previous to bis attack it raned
aud that he was on sentinel duty and had no sleep.
he also learned from some of his companions that
when at home his business is entirely within doors
and that he is altogether unaccustomed to expo-
sure; and that he is in the habit of occasionally
jndulging excessively in the use of intox;ca-
ting liquors, and at such times will Law
down in any position, however much exposed -
From all the circumstances of the case Dir. Brad
ford was forced to the Inference, that from expo.
sure want of rest, and sleeping the damp ground
Inflammation, or high degree of irritation of the
spipal cord was set up. That the use of large
Quantities OF improper and indigestible food at !
time when the tome OF the system was much below
its natural standard was the proximate or exciting
cause, and that all the other phenomena followed
"a natural consequeRce.-On motion, tn,
Branch adjourned.