Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-04-01

nave Dttn ldNiI ID Aitf III DtT COuultlOns 4
think she had not the physical ability to
have done it, and get back into bed without
assistance, and without leaving any traces.
In her state any excitement would have
bad result She could not have borne any
great excitement.
Cross EraannGtioR.-Tbis woman's tenn
permanent was phlegmatie. She suffered from
oedema Of the lower cxtremities. There is
some more danger Of death Of the mother,
when in her condition and OF her tempeFa-
ment. Statistics show greater probability Of
death of twins than in single births. Mere
children die under week Old. than from
that to year old. First child was only
born bv nv assistance. II took very few
had not become established should have
said it died from asphyxiation. Have had
good many cases where the child did
not breathe At first. The first child
did not cry as should have wished. Saw
the feeding of the child, noticed nothing spe-
cial about it Staid about three-iourths Of
an hour alter the second child WAS horn
should Judge it weighed about Il pound less
than the first sa near the children and OBJ
served them sufficiently to be satisfied that
they were doing well. When | went in
Monday evening, my attention was mainly
directed 70 the mother found her hands
cold. pulse low. unusual anxiety OF cOunten-
ance. She asked DR.. Knox It he thought
she would die. Immediately after | went IN
she said " | want yOa 10 examine those
children" asked " Why! when she
repled Because folks may say killed
them" DR.. Knox and examined the bodies
OF the children slightly next day; noticed
unusual liyiIity OF the lips; taink have
seen CASTS OF death within dar after birth,
IN which do not rcc0llect such liyidltv In
my experience. most frequent cause OF death
soon alter birth, at the lull period. is some
injury received during birth to the brain OF
otherwise. Never heard OF leath from retro
version OF the tongue in infants, suppose
death Is possible from such cause don't
know that il j. more likely TO happen in IN
iants than IN adults. From the examination
made by DR.. Knox and myself. should not
be willing 70 express an opinion Of tine cause
of death. Assisted at post mortem Of moth
er next dav Consider her death due 10 a
combination of c-,uses-ar exhaustion, he
morhage. sc. Anticipated trouble IN her
case, bu; not death that day.
PRoF d. ;. CoNANT-srorr. Made post
norton examination Of the two children.
Examined the larger one first found about
an ounce of bloody serum in the right pleural
cavity ana some in the lett, and arout two
drachms in the peucardium. The right lung
was much clngcsttd, the left lung not as
much 50 found the right side ot the heart
di,tendc1 as much as il could hold, the left
side partially empty; found the mucous
membrane of the upper IOrt Of the tachea
anu larynX cluSe,tyd. Found no external
mark except "a small one over the arynx oi
the smaller child, which secmed 10 have
heen made by the Ice in which il
had been packed found the brain and
sinuses iuil ot black blood /:
In the other child found the heart Utmost
ike that OF the first one-the lungs were #
ANYTHING more c5nge-ted. and the difference
te-ween right and left lungs morc marked
than in the other.
10 my opinion from thess indications death
was caused hy some obstruction 70 resTiration.
Cannot account for the death Of the children
from any natural causes. 1t these appear
ances had resulted from any disease under the
circumstances should certainly think the at
tending physician would have discovered IT,
Presence OF phieEm in the month is often
serious obstacle 90 the resusclatiln of o child
that does not bleat. a birth Il il hardly
possible ttat death from that cause should
occur two or three hours after birth, aud al
ter the child had been led. If death occur
red from such presence OF phlegm il would be
discovered readily on post mortem. found
the windpipe. throat and mouth Of the child
Ieyaminedc.ear of phiegm. know OF no reason
why wei. developed ana healthy twins should
be more liable % die than other children af-
ter they have lived and done well for several
hours. These were not large but were well
developed children. The largest one was
about the ayeiage size. Il would take but
a very short tine to suf1cate children only
four OF i've hours old.
Cross Examined Mr.. Englesbv and Mr..
Huntington We're present ut the post NOR
ten. When tie circulation j. cut of sud
denly by stopIage of the heart, it is not
commonly distended Never saw the heart
and lungs Of any one who was known to have
died from sufJcation. In clses Of sufFlca-
ton indications are generally shown in the
lace. There were none such in this case.
Should think as a general thing in case OF
suh1cation the ewes would be found open. In
case OF sudden death, the veins and sinuses
OF the brain are apt TO be full. Can't swear
positively that the death Of these infants was
by violence but cannot account for their
death except from some obstruction of respi
ration. Adults have been resuscItated after
immersion in water % minutes.
With equal vitality person OF slow circuls-
ton would live longer than one Of rapid cir
culation, after respiration is suspended-In
a pOstmOrtem four days after death. we
should expect to find les. rather than more
congestion, than soon after death.
Re-direct.-Marks of sufocation would
should think not be so likely to appear in
the face Of a young infant, as in an adult
| could find no natural cause of suficauon
In this case
Both the physicians were cross examined
at considerable length, on abstract questions
of medical science-tor which we cannot
find room.
Adjourned TO \. NJ. Tuesday
The case was resumed at ten o'clock next
morning in the Office OF j. French, Esq. No .
more testimony was brought forward on ell /
their side
Mr.. HENRY BALLARD, for the State, said /
that TO require a commitment by the Justice, /
it was only necessary to show a probable .
ground Of suspicion that the accused was i'm .
plicated in the crime charged he quoted
in support. Reviewing the testi-
mony, he drew the inference as inevitable,
that the death of the children was not natural
or by accident-but by violence; and that
the respondent is implicated as accessory to
their death.
Nh. HARD, for tie defence, reviewed the
legal position taken, and claimed that the
Justice must he satisfied that trial bv Jury
would result in conviction, to render com
mitment necessary. The claim OF the proba-
bic guil5 Of the accused by the State. he said,
rested on the theory of DR.. Conant, that the
children were sutiJcated, and the opportuni-
" of the accused to have committed such
;iime We shall show that the Appearances
If the bodies do not warrant the belief The
irst child was born unnaturally and appa-
entity dead. was TesuscItated. and made fee
be noises.
lie went on t0show that the circumstances
# birth and the appearauces shown on the
,ost mortem examination, do not indicate.
necessarily, death by sufocation, and pre-
ented the evidence that the death of the first
nd ieebler child, whose body was most care
,1I-- .w,r,ir.d tras from ra.t,r-,l com.