American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-07-05
THE MRS. HULL MURDER.
A Physicians Statement Regarding Death
by SufYocation.

he
A Physicians Statement Regarding Death
by SufYocation.
from the New York Evening Post.1
Since the murder Of Mrs. Hull much
surprise has been expressed that so Wig
orous and powerful a woman should
have been smothered without any noise
or evidence Of violent struggle, and the
absence of any indications of violent re-
si:tenee on her part has led many per-
SONS to believe thft three or four per-
sons were concerned liz the etlnse. The
following facts in relation to the Case
with which the suffocation of person
can be effected under certain conditions,
which were related by one of the most
eminent surgeons in New York City Or
County, will be read with especial in
terest. This gentleman said, in speak
ing Of the murder of Mrs. Hull:
GAS soon DIS you begin to lose any
of the vital elements of life YOU begin
to lose strength, and oxygen (the life
giving element in the air) is what puri-
fies the blood, and gives it power of
sustaining our life; the moment that by
any means you are deprived of fresh
supply of air. you begin to lose
strength. The question how long will
person retain consciousness after the
supply of air is cut off, depends entire
ly upon the fact whether the supply of
air is entirely or partly cut off. If a
little air is admitted, that will create
some vitality, and will promote the pos
sibility of the persons struggling. If
by struggling the person succeeds in
getting more dir, the strength is cor
respondingly increased. Thus the per-
son may get the better Of the would-be
murderer. But, when the exclusion of
the air is perfect, then the time of con-
seriousness lasts only while the beat
ing of the heart circulates what good
blood there is already in the body about
the body. The heart beats seventy-two
times a minute, and it will take but a
few seconds to use up the good blood.
When we inhate, the ait comes in con-
tact with the blue (badJ blood AM
oxygenizes it-that is, puts oxygen into
it, makes it red and good, and capable
of sustaining our life. This red blood
the heart forces through the veins and
over the body. When we exhale we
breathe out; the carbon unites with tie
oxygen to form carbonic acid, which has
been eliminated from the blood. By
each respiration we take in life and send
out the destroyer of life which is all the
time forming inside of tls. As the blood
circulate through the body it becomes
and when it meets fresh
oxygen it gives off its carbon or poison.
When the supply of air is cut of, all the
blood becomes carbonized, carbottic
acid is formed, the heart keeps on
the blood and carbonic acid
from the heart into the head and about
the brain. Carbonic acid is the best
kind of sedative, and acts as mar
cotic. Stupefaction similar 10 drunken
ness is produced. 1t is just as if the
person we're put to sleep. The arteries
become overloaded and contested, con-
gestion of the brain is created, and tran
quill death results. Some persons can
stay under water a long time because
they take in their lungs large supply
Of air before they 60 under water, while
breathing naturally in sleep it is per-
fectly possible that consciousness would
not come at all, and that in few
death without a struggle would
enstie.
"Once was called to the home of
one of the most reputable ladies in the
/ found her dead, lying on a
sofa. The servant-girl had come into
her room early in the morning to make
The fire. When the girl went out the
lady, just dressed, threw herself down
On the sofa, and picked up the morning
The lady did not appear
1t the breakfast table, and at about 10
o'clock they went upstairs to her room
TO see what was the matter. She lay on
he sofa apparently asleep. The news
paper was in her lap, and one hand lay
Upon it, the other arm rested gracefully
over the back of the sofa. There was
40 expression of pain on her face. Her
osition ON the sofa was perfectly natu-
al. There were no signs of a struggle,
put she was dead. Upon examination,
discovered that her false teeth had
iropped back and closed up the larynx
10 as to cut off the supply of air. She
had fallen asleep, the teeth had dropped |
back, and she had died without a strug-
gle. She was a large, strong, vigorous |
in good health. believe thor
,ughly that she passed away without
my consciousness of the fact that she
vas dying. A person who is asleep can
,e smothered by means of a very little
orce. A large, strong woman can be
by weak girl if all the air is
excluded, by covering the
mouth and nostrils. If the woman is
asleep, quite possibly there would be
10 struggle at all and no consciousness"
Scandalizing a Lazy Husband.
Mr. and Mrs. Blank excited great at |
ention on Washington Street this fore |
,oon. He had broken down appear
NEE, and she looked like hard work.
ng woman who had suffered hardship. |
A II tho NOV dnwp ohio Eont oIooo hobipd |