Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-10-13
Death by Drowning.

An autopsy of q drowning case lust
made by Members OF the medical staff
connected with Coroner Jannev'S Office
expiodes the theory of the Mallcy prose
cution in reference to Jennie Cramer 5
death. and is likely to lead to rcvolu-
ton i'll that branch Of medico legal testi-
mony which bears upon death from
drowning. The theory advanced by the
medical experts on behalf of the Con-.
monwealth, that the dcad girl was mol
drowned because there was no evidence
of water in the lungs. is one that has
never been disputed. although Frequently
members of The medical fraternity have
been found doubling the soundness q
the proposition. Since the Malley pro
Secution promulgated the old theory,
Prof John Reese, the Coroner's ana.
lytical chemist. professor of toXicology
in the University of Pennsylvania, has
given the subject considerable thought
and attention. Prof. Reese was sought
for by ono of the attorneys for the Nal
ley boys rs an expert in arSenical Dois-
oninT. but preferred to remain at home.
1t is this. perhaps, that augmented the
Professors interest in the medical tpsti-
mony. However that may be, he has
been Watching drowning cases very
closely OF late, and at last found wha.
he expected to.
On the evening Of June 10. while pa
trolling his beat at Delaware AvcAue and
Queen Street, about half-past nine
o'clock. a Second District policeman
observed IN old and decrepit woman in
-u, Il ,-ir -lv nj 4,
ware Avenue. She was clad in dilap-
i,iated calico dress and scarcely anything
more. Her feet were bare, her GRAY
hairs We're unprotected, and to the sur
prise of the officer, he found when he
approached the woman that she was
sober. She told the policeman that she
wanted to 90 10 South Street. and he
took her to that thorouGhfare. turned
her head in the right direction. and she
started Off westward. The next morn
ing very early her body was found float
ing in the Queen Street dock. The vcr-
diet of the Coroner's jury was IN un-
known woman found drowned. 1t was
impossible TO ascertain the old woman's
identity. hut the evidence of drowning
was undiSpuicd. Ii being an opinion
entertained by the Coroncr's physicians
that the length OF time body will re-
main under the surface depends upon
the quantity of water taken internally,
ii was apparent that this case was an ex-
ccllcnt one to establish or shatter that
belief. On Friday last Prof. Reese, &C
companied by DR.. ID. Willis Cadwalia-
der. who is also an attache Of the Coro-
nUr's office. a,!d who IS also deeply IN
tereStcd in the subject. went TO the
morguc and made a thoroumh cNamina-
lion OF the drowned woman. Upon
ppaning 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 Il very slight congestion found
in the lungs. but from natural causes,
and the liver was considerably cirrhoscd,
presumably caused by drinking. The
other organs of the body were compare
lively healthy. There were no marks OF
abuse upon the body in any way, and
evidence whatever OF drowning. There
was not even anything in the gullet to
indicate that water had passed tho We
mans lips.
The physicians think that they have
discovered demonstration of the falsity
of the theory set up by the Mallev pros
acuton, and. what is more important 10
them. they feel that they are in a posi-
ton to render some valuable aid to
science. This ono case convinces DIR.
Reese. beyond any doubt. that persons
in jumping overheard. especially from
an cminence, can come to death from
Suilocation orShock. and without taking
drop of water inwardlv. The work
begun by the Coroner's physicians with
such remarkable developments will be
continued SO that repeated autopsies OF
drowning eases NAV confirm or DENY the
medical point raised by them. DR..
Reese said that if his conclusion as to
the cause of death in the case of the
woman found in Queen Street Wharf
had been drawn from the auopSy alone,
without any other source of information,
he would have pronounced it death from
crrhosis of the liver. there being no evil
dence of drowning about the internal
organs.-Philadetp.ia Cor. 81. Louis
Gl0be- D,DlOcyut