The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-07-15
Death by Drowning.

Death by Drowning.
n autopsy of a drowning case Just
ME by members of the medical staff
colected with Coroner Janney's office
e&odes the theory of the Malley prose-
cuon in reference to Jennie Cramer's
och, and is likely to lead to revolu-
Tic in that branch of medico-legal testi-
my which bears upon death from
OWNING. The theory advanced by the
miical experts on behalf of the Com
m1nwealth, that the dead girl was not
OWNED because there was no evidence
oiwater in the lungs, is one that has
neer been disputed, although frequently
mnbers of the medical fraternity have
Den found doubling the soundness OF
IN proposition. Since the Malley pre-
seltion promulgated the old theory,
RI. John Reese, the Coroner's ana
iycal chemist, professor of toxicology
ln;he University of Pennsylvania, has
GEN the subject considerable thought
an attention. Prof. Reese was sought
toby one of the attorneys for the NAL
lelboys as an expert in arsenical pois-
omg, but preferred to remain at home.
1t u this perhaps, that augmented the
Professor interest in the medical testi-
70. However that may be, he has
Nh watching drowning eases very
Closely of late, and at last found what
h, expected to,
On he evening of June II, while pa
trolinghis beat at Delaware Avenue and
Queen Street, about half-past nine
o'clock, a Second District policeman
observedan old and decrepit woman in
rags watering aimlessly along Della
ware Ave.ue. She was clad in a dilap-
idated Gallo dress and scarcely anything
more. He feet were bare, her gray
hairs werepnprotected, and to the sur
prise of tn officer, he found when he
approached the woman that she was
sober. She old the policeman that she
wanted to g to South Street, and he
took her to hat thoroughfare, turned
her head in The right direction, and she
started off westward. The next morn
ing very earlyler body was found float
ing in the Queen Street dock. The YER
dict of the C0oner's jury was an I'M
known woman found drowned. 1t was
impossible to ascertain the old woman S
identity, but the evidence of drowning
was undisputeo. 1t being an opinion
entertained by the Coroner's physicians
that the length f time a body will re-
main under the surface depends upon
the quantity of water taken internally
it was apparent hat this case was an ex,
cellent one TO establish or shatter thai
belief. On Friday last Prof. Reese, &C.
companied by Dr.. d. Willis Cadwalla'
der, who is also an attache of the Coro
ners Office, and who is also deeply in
terested in the subject, went to the
morgue and made thorough examina
ton of the drowned woman. Upor
opening the body there was no water
whatever found in the lungs, nor the
slightest evidence of having been there
Neither was there in the stomach
There was very Slight congestion found
in the lungs, but from natural causes
and the liver was considerably cirrhosed
presumably caused by drinking. The
otter organs of the body were compare
tiely healthy. There were no marks o
ablse upon the body in any way, anG
evidence whatever of drowning. Their,
WIS not even anything in the outlet t
indicate that water had passed the VIC
INNS lips.
The physicians think that they hav
discovered a demonstration of the falsit
of the theory set up by the Malley pros
ecltion, and, what is more important t.
them, they feel that they are in posi-
ten to render some valuable aid tt
science. This one case convinces DR.
Reese, beyond any doubt, that person
in jumping overheard, especially from
an eminence, can come to death from
sufocation or shock, and without taking
a drop of water inwardly. The worl
begun by the Coroner physicians witt
such remarkable developments will b,
continued so that repeated autopsies o
drowning cases may confirm or deny tn
medical point raised by them. DR.
Reese said that if his conclusion as t,
the cause of death in the case of tn
woman found in Queen Street Whar
had been drawn from the autopsy alone
without any other source of information
he would have pronounced it death from
cirrhosis of the liver, there being no evi
dencs of drowning about the interns
organs. philadelphia Cor. 81. Lou
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