The Portland daily press., 1879-05-22

TESTIMONY OF DIR. DANA.
DR.. Israel T. Dana, the next witness called
by the State, testified.
The competency of the doctor as an expert
was admitted but for the purpose of having his
qualifications appear upon the record he testi-
fed to them. He was shown the bottle con-
tanning small quantity of liquid, the same
that Annie Small testified DIR. Whitman gave
her. The witness said:
would say that was the fluid extract of
ergot 1t is obtained from diseased growth
upon rye-what is called spurred rye Its
most important medicinal property, perhaps
is to quicken the uterine contraction, and to
aid the womb in which the process of expul-
sion of its contents has been commenced to
complete the process L cannot say that it is
sure to produce abortion; there is no drug sure
to do that, but do not know that there is one
remedy that is more likely to produce that
result Ergot is sometimes given for the pur-
pose OF reducing the activity of the great
nerve centres, reducing the amount of circula-
ton in the brain and spinal chord. When it
is partaken of to poisonous degree it reduces
extremely the activity of the brain and lowers
and diminishes the vital power of the system.
heard the testimony of Annie Small and
Margaret Smith, l heard the testimony of
Annie Small as to the instrument used on her
This instrument shown me is what is called
a uterine sound The use of the instrument
as described by Miss Small could only be for
one purpose and have one tendency and that is
to produce an abortion.
Taking the description to be true as testified
to by Margaret Smith it would indicate to my
mind that the child was six or seven months
old and the ordinary significance of her de-
scription of it as "whitish would be that it had
been bleeding. The wound in the neck as
described by her would be over the carotid
artery and jugular vein. The opening and
closing of the mouth of the child indicate the
existance of life Blood coming from the
wound under the ear indicates life. A child
may die after its premature birth solely from
the operation upon the mother
On cross examination in reply to Mr. Strout
the witness said the mother is sometimes
deceived as to the fact of pregnancy He did
not think the feeling of shame or disgrace in
an unmarried girl would have much more
tendency to cause the child to be born dead
at six months than as though she was a married
woman and the child born at the same age.
Ergot was administered by the profession when
labor has begun to accelerate the action of the
womb. 1t is avery easy matter to deprive a new
born child of life. 1t might be strangled or
smothered. If a child was born alive and
gasped for breath the effort would probably be
attended with some motion of the throat or
chest. If the child was born dead and placed
on its back the mouth might fall open, but it
would not close again. should not say that it
would be in the line of professional duty for
physician to take still born child away. I
suppose it would be a matter of taste.
Upon redirect examination by the County
Attorney the witness said he did not think it
justifable for physician to administer ergot
until labor had begun except in rare instances
where it is necessary to produce abortion to
save the life of the mother
Court took a recess of ton n;nn+os
oihhh MEDICAL TESTIMONY
DR.. George f. French was the next witness
Called and in the main corroborated the testi-
mony OF Dr.. Dana. He did not agree with
him that the paleness or ''whitish" appear
ance of the child indicated the loss of blood.
Doctors Frederick III. Gerrish and Stephen
IL. Weeks were then called and their testimony
corroborated that of DR.. Dana.
TESTIMONY AS TO HANDWRITING.
Tbo,os p uoclo1l ond storlo,, coon,,,,o,,
both on1ao+,,o, az Gu G oe1pteh ogaa1'
HorIoI, VI "if"d 15 anu ises. ~
mems of the handwriting of DR.. Witham,
Margaret Smith was recalled and testified as
10 the arrangement OF her mouse.
TESTIMONY OF CARRIE BRYANT.
onIo Cal a DISaii., loI wiioll AIMS onlah