The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-08-16
THE WHARTON POISON.
ING CASE.
Mrs. T.. G. wharton Indicted by the
Grand Jury OF tue Criminal Court
yellow jasmine one Of the AlleE.
ed Poisons-History OF the Poison,


yellow jasmine one OF the AlleG'
ed Poisons-History OF the Poison,
dc.
Reported for the Baltimore Sum-
The grand jury Of the Criminal Court
on Saturday indicted Mrs. E. 6. Whar-
ton for the murder OF General William
Scott Ketchum, and also with attempt
ing to poison Eugene Van Ness. The
Indictment for the murder Of Gen. ket-
chum contains four counts. The first
charges the administration OF tartar
emetic and tincture OF yellow jasmine
on the Sth OF June, 1871, and the Sec
ond by administering poison, the name
of which is unkl own, in the same man.
ner, on the same day. The third and
fourth counts charge murder by three
administrations OF tartar emetic and
poison Of an unknown name, in lemon
ade, on the oath of June, in tea on the
25th OF June, and tincture OF yellow
jasmine on the 2Sth Of June, 1871.
The indictment for attempting to poi
son Eugene Van Ness contains twelve
counts, and charges the actual admin
istration of tartar emetic and deadly
poison Of unknown name on the 18th,
10Th, and oath OF June, and with ming
ling such poison with beet tea on the
oath June, and with milk punch, OF
which he was about to partake, on the
2Sth June, 1871, with intent TO poison
him. The indictment is founded on the
code, article 80, section ljS which is in
these words Every person, his or her
aiders or abettors, who shall be con-
victed of the crime Of attempting to
poison any person shall be sentenced to
undergo a confinement IN the penitcn-
tiary for not less than two nor more
than ten years.
| YELLOW JASMINE,
Or Geisemium Sumpervivum, or Nil'
dim, has only Of late years attracted the
attention OF the American faculty. In
the March number Of the Baltimore
Medical JommaL, DR.. Philip G. Will
liams, a well-known physician OF this
city, who was one OF the witnesses sum.
moned in this case before the grand
jury, has a lengthy article on the
therapeutic value OF Gelsemium, IN
which he quotes largely from an artI.
Gle on the same subject from the pen OF
Prof. Wormley, OF Ohio. The United
States Dispensary of Wood ~ Bache
has also an interesting history OF the
medicine. We condense from the lat
ter the following: "Glesemium, or Vel.
low Jasmine, appears TO be a nervous
and arterial sedatiye, without nausea
ting or purgative qualities, bat some
times causing diaphoresis, especially III
febrile diseases. In moderate doses 1t
produces agreeable sensations OF Ian
guor, with muscular relaxation, SO
that the patient finds some difficulty IN
moving the eyelids and in keeping the
jaws closed More largely taken 1t oc-
casions dimness OF vision, dIlated pupils,
general muscular debility and univer-
sal prostration, reducing the frequency
and force Of the pulse and the frequency
of respiration, and producing iuscnsl.
biity 10 pain, but without stupor or
delrium. After short time these
symptoms pass of, leaving no unpicas,
ant effects. 1t usually begins to act in
half an hour, and ceases 70 act after one
or two hours. 1t is no doubt capable Of
causing death in overdoses. 1t is said
TO have been long popularl y employed
as vermiiuye in the Southern and
Southwestern States, but its more
valuable qualities have been known
but for few wears, their discovery
having been purely accidental. A plant
er OF Mississippi, laboring under
an obstinate bilious fever, directed his
servant 10 get particular root from the
garden and prepared tea from it. The
tea was prepared according TO directions
and drank by the invalid, who was soon
aiterward affected with great prostra.
ton, and especially muscular debility,
so that he could not raise a limb, but
without stupor. These effects gradually
passed off. and with it the fever. The
servant had made a mistake in the root,
and dug that Of the gelsemium instead
OF the one intended. The remedy passed
into the hands OF irregular practition.
ers, and was employed 10y the eclectic
physician" before its virtues became
known 10 the profession. The diseases
in which the medicine has been pre-
scribed are intermittent, remittent, ty-
phoid and yellow fevers, inflammation
of the lungs and pleura rheumatism,
neuralgia, chorea and epilepsy. DR..
John Douglass, Of Chester district,
South Carolina, has used it with sue
cess in the treatment OF gonorrhea.
The preparation usually employed is
tincture made by maceraiing for two
weeks The fresh bark Of the root, well
bruised, in diluted alcohol, or some
form OF ardent spirits, and then ex-
pressing and fltering. 1t has a dark
red color, and all the bitterness OF the
root The dose is from ten TO fifty
drops every hour or two 4 formula
has been proposed by DR.. Mayes, &C
cording to which four ounces Of the fresh
root are macerated for fourteen days
with pint OF diluted alcohol, the dose
Of the tincture to be fifteen TO fifty
drops. According to DR.. Cleveland,
death has been caused by an excessive
use Of the.tincture.
CASES OF POISONING BIZ GELsENICN.
Professor Wormley in the American
Journal Of Pharmacy, thus describes q
case of poisoning by gelsemium: On the
| 10Th of January, 1859, three teaspoons
ful Of the fluid extract 0: gelsemiun
were administered 10 young healthy
married woman, several weeks advanced
! -; ,,xar,apcv yEha at fhe fine rom