Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-03


 MT. Case-Oh, yes and don't, professor, forget my milligram.
 Mr. Doolittle Now, Doctor, make that last calculation at your own convenlence- the actual amount of arsenic actually found. I believe Mr. Case also wants a mlIl1gram ot arsenic
 Dr. Prudden was recalled.
 MT Bush-Doctor, do you know what ma terias were in the body foreign to the body
 The body was partially stuffed with cotton. No, there was no other foreign substance ln 1t that I know of. Yes, the diaphragm was in the body and that was all the soft organs. No, there was some of the brain in the skull. Yes, I have listened to the testimony of Pro lessor Chittenden.
 Bush-NoW, the testimony Of PrOtessof Chittenden as you heard it
 Jones-Wait @ minute, I object.
 Doolittle-You haven't got half the ques- tion yet
 Jones-I have heard enough to make it ob jectionable.
 Doolittle-Perhaps when you hear it all you won't object.
 Bush-Taking the result of the autopsy performed by you, and assuming that the facts in the chemical analysis are true, what in your opinion caused the death of Jennie Cramer?
 Question objected to in form by Mir. Jones.
 The court thought the question proper.
 Mr. Jones thought the question should be 8 supposable one.
 The court admitted the question.
 A recess of ten minutes was here taken. After objection taken to the question and its admission, and an exception taken to rul- ing, witness replied to Mir. Doolittle
 Based upon these grounds my opinion Is that the cause of death in this case was ar senic poisoning.
 MT. Jones inquired Upon what do you form your opinion ? l want the answer in de- tail From the result of my own examina- tion of the body of Jennie Cramer, which did not reveal to me any cause for death,-
 Mr. Jones--Well that's one reason. MT. Doolittle-The witness has not con cluded.
 Well then, talk so l can hear you, or don't talk at all-mumbling.
 Court-Avoid comment as far as you can.
 Jones-Yes, sir, with the same abstinence at the other end of the table Laughter. Witness-Which should be evident in the body of young and healthy person; and then secondly, assuming the facts stated by Dr. Chittenden-
 Mr. Jones-I want an answer in detail.
 MT. Doolittle-Don't interrupt the witness. Mr. Jones-The witness is not responsive,
 The court-The witness is proceeding to state his answer.
 Mir. Doolittle-The witness should not be interrupted.
 Mir. Jones-Is he my witness or are you running him ? I object to being thus inter- rupted
 The court-I think the witnes ss will answer if allowed to proceed.
 MT. DoolIttle-Yes, that's what thought. Laughter.
 MT. Jones-You are bound to have the last word. Laughter. Witness--As to the finding of arsenic in this body and its distribution here, and from my observation on the subject I base this opinion.
 Jones-Are you through? Yes, sir. Jones-Now state upon what particular facts you base it. The fact Doolittle-Wait moment the question is not intelligent The court admitted the question and Mir. Jones repeated his question. Witness-The fact that arsenic was actually found in this body, and that it was widely distributed in it. Mir. Jones-Doctor, if person should ac- cidentally, and without design, take one grain of arsenic in the system by absorption, would you not expect to find traces of arsenic in all the organs of the body? Witness-That would depend upon the time elapsed since the taking. MT. Jones-Suppose the examination was after twelve hours, the arsenic having gone into the circulation, would you not expect to find traces? Witness-I don't know enough about the distribution of arsenic in human body. l am not physiological chemist. Mir. Jones-Oh, if you don't know I will pass it.
 MT. Jones-Did you ever know Jennie Cramer ? did not.
 Did you ever see her in life? Not to my knowledge. You said she was young and healthy per- hot hot examination of the internal organs.
 Mir. Jones now questioned regarding the food found in the stomach, its condition, etc Witness said he could not say, as the time of digestion varied much in healthy persons. Yes, great nervous prostration affects diges- ton.
 If person, after eating, has great nervous or mental prostration, is digestion not de- layed ? That is the tendency.
 What is the general rule as to the celerity of the effect of poisoning? There is wide difference. In some cases a long time elapses; in others the time is brief Between there are all imaginable differences. Will you state the general average? It is between six and twenty four hours, with some exceptions.
 Doctor, do your books lay down a general rule on that subject? Some lay down a rule Wharton & Stelli what does that say :? What edition is 1t :? 1875. Jones (reading) Stelle says symptoms do not proceed usually until half an hour to an hour after the poi son is swallowed. Taylor says the same sub stantially the symptoms may come on in 8 quarter of an hour! Do you accede to that Dr. /? Yes, sir. Dr., what are the symptoms of arsenical poisoning? Those vary frequently. They may be divided into two classes. The first are those which show symptoms of 1ntiamma- tion of the stomach and intestines, Again there may be dryness and burning of the throat, heat and pain at the pit of the stom ach, nausea, vomiting, pains in the abdomen, purging then great weakness may follow prostration, sometimes convulsions, in which the person may die.
 In the second class of cases there may be none of these indications of inflammation in the stomach and intestines, but persons may die of great exhaustion, without nausea or vomiting; they may sink into deep sleep and so die.
 Mr. Jones-Are you through? Yes, sir
 Do you not almost invarlably expect to find vomiting and retching? I can't say that.
 Do not your books say so? They may.
 Mr. Jones cited an authority which spoke of 23 out of 25 cases in which these symp toms were found also cited another and asked witness if these were not good authori- ties Witness said they were, but the coun- sel should read further and give the whole
 
 Mr. Jones-But these authorities say that is the general rule-burning pains in the stomach and vomiting? Yes, sir; that which you have read occurs in most cases.
 MT. Jones reading from Taylor on poisons -Faintness, depression, nausea, burning in the stomach, etc are symptoms they not t? Witness substan'i 'ially agreed
 Did you take these symptoms into consid- eration in making up your opinion that the girl died from poisoning? Did you know that she had any of these symptoms? I do not.
 And you found no arsenic in the stomach No, sir.
 Witness aceeded that as general rule the symptoms of poisoning are continuous.
 Doctor, what is the average time of death in case of acute arsenical poisoning? That varies, but I may state from 12 to 24 hours.
 Can you show me any authority for that, doctor? I think that Taylor on poisons gives it so.
 Jones-Well stop right there. Here is Tay- Tor. I'll read from page POP. Read that large doses of arsenic caused death in from IS hours to days The average time at which death takes place is 24 hours. MT. Jones in reply to MT. Doolittle-I am after the aver age rule A man may have the consumption both lungs most gone and never cough.
 Mr. Jones cited other authorities in the same line of questioning.