The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-05
THE WHARTON TRIAL.


DR.. Aiken's Testimony Exploded
Tho Cause OF Gen. Ketehum's
Death.
The Wharton trial is just now ex
ceedingly interesting to scientists Of all
classes, and more particularly to medi.
cal men and analytical, practical chem
lists. There never has been a case in
which 90 much medical testimony has
been introduced, and never in the his
tory of medicine has it been so thor
oushly proved that doctors can disagree.
The testimony given for the prosecu-
ton by DR.. Aiken and the chemist
Toney lie just now undergoing some
rather rough handling, and it seems
that it is, in fact, being altogether ex-
ploded. The testimony Of Prof. Nc
Cullough demonstrates clearly that the
conclusions of Aiken and Toney are, to
say the least, problematical if not
erroneous. DR.. Warren, very cele-
brated surgeon and chemist, is OF the
same opinion as Prof. Mccullough, and
is reported as having said to an inter
viewer of the New York Herald as fol.
lows:
Doctor, do the medical gentlemen OF
Baltimore look with much trust upon
the professional character of DR..
Aiken 2
mo, sir. At a recent meeting OF the
Baltimore Association of Physicians
DR.. Uhler offered a resolutioh condemn
ing the medical and chemical testimo.
nv in this case, but for reasons Of pro
fessional delicacy they we're objected to-
DR.. Aiken is an old resident Of Balti-
more, but born somewhere in England
| believe his position as State Analytical
Chemist and Professor of Chemistry at
the MARYLAND University gives him
considerable hypothetical importance,
which. according to the local columns
ofthe Baltimore newspapers, he appears
to turn to advantage in praising par,
ticular brands OF whisky, nostrums and
canned condiments. These are, perhaps,
errors of dignity merely, but the whole
medical profession OF the country may
be said to have arrayed itself against
his testimony on the Schoeppe case.
Can you 90 over the points ofprotest
against his process and conclusions in
that caseT
"Only in brief | have been up all
night reviewing my evidence, which |
have written in full, to be assured that
| say what | mean. DR.. Aiken exam
ined the contents Of Miss Steinecke's
stomach, and finding traces Of prussie
acid, he pronounced that she was killed
by poisoning by prussic acid. Now,
prussic acid, combined with base,
exists in human saliva; it is also pro.
duced by the decomposition Of animal
matter in the human system. DR..
Aiken's tests, beginning with sulphuric
acid and heat, had the effect Of separat-
ing the sulphuric acid from its base,
and hence what he discovered was not
poison administered by the prussic acid
which responded to his test, but the
natural and necessary prussic acid Of
the healthful man. The scientific men
of the country would not stand this
loose theory, and they entered almost a
united protest against it, and thus,
although Schoeppe was probably great
scoundrel, and may have murdered the
woman, vet Aikep's testimony was no
evidence; it was blind assumption.
Therefore Schoeppe never was hanged,
but he lapguishes in Carlisle Jail.
What general character does Aiken
bear in Baltimore"
"The neighbors say he is an inveterate
dog poisoner, and he is terror to every
well bred dog; he tries experiments, they
say, with all the dogs around, and this
is about the worth Of his evidence in
human matters"
In addition to this DR.. Warren dis
tinctly states that he is Of the opinion
that General Ketchum died, not OF
poison, and particularly not by anti.
mony or tartar emetic, but of a natural
disease, well known among medical
authorities, and which is described in
all medical treatises as malignant
purpuric fever, or, to speak more after
the fashion ofthe faculty, Of epidemic
cerebro spinal Notwithstanding
called in the vulgar "the cold plague"
This disease Dr.. Warren says has been
epidemic in Baltimore for a year past,
and he cites cases similar in all respects
in symptoms and results to Ketchum' 8
illness. Thus we have a lady arrested
on a charge Of murder upon the sus-
picions of certain medical men, whose
entire system of arriving at the con-
clusion that poisson has been used, Is
based on false conceptions. This
analysis of the contents Of Ketchum 8
stomach should have been made before
any arrest, not by two men only, but
by sufficient number Of experts, to
make the alleged poisoning matter OF
probability before any person should be
put upon trial for their life.