Daily globe., 1883-06-17
DEADLY DRUGS.
A'a Interesting Chapter on PoisOns and
POjSO1eTs.
Rural Pres

In Great Britain poison has been
rather an aristocratic method of crime.
DIR. Pritchard, OF Glasgow, dosed his
wife to death with tartar emetic. Pal
mer, of Rugby, was highly successful in
removing his victims with strychnine.
The most remarkable case, however.
among the British gentry was that of
Capt. Donellan, which, indeed, bears
close parallel with the recent tragedy.
Donellan poisoned his brother-in- law.
So did Lamson, and IN each instance the
death of the victim brought an inher-
itance to the wives Of the murderer.
Lamson's victim percy John) was an
invalid youth of 19. DonelIan's victim
(Sir Theodcsius Boughton) was on in
valid of u. Both prisoners were ably
defended and had sufficient medical tes-
timony to have insured an acquittal had
theybeen tried in this city. British ju1ies,
however, are not so lenient rs Amer
lean. The poison administered by each
was original and hence admitted of many
points Of defense. Donellan used laurel
water which he procured by means OF u
small still which he kept in his room.
the leaves having been obtained from a
tree in the garden. He secretly sub
stituted the potion for the medicines
which the patient took, and the latter at
once noticed the difference in taste. In
less than half an hour he was dead. It
was noticed that Donellan emptied the
bottle and washed it, also the tumbler
which had been used. Suspicion arose
soon after interment and the corpse was
exhumed and examined. The famous
physician, Sir John Hunter, was wit
ness for the defense, and his testimony
was so favorable that, on reading it, I
was satisfied that an American jury
would have acquitted the prisoner. The
latter, however, was convicted and
hanged in n1ne days. One Of the most
striking proofs of his guilt was the fact
that after his death volume of the
philosophical transactions was found il
his room, several of the pages being cut
out. On comparing this book with other
copies, it was found that the missing
pages contained directions for distilljng
laurel. After relapse of century TIE
Donellan case finds a parallel in that Of
Lamson, and thus deep calleth unto deep
in the chronicles OF crime.
Arsenic poison has been the more
common method, and Gin this country at
least) there are many cases Oh record.
The present Malley trial brings before
the public long and tedious testimony
on this point, and though the prisoners
may be acquitted, public opinion will no
doubt pronounce them guilty. One of
the leading authorities on poison is
Orfla, whose works were once brought
into New York court to elucidate some
points in a murder trial. He was
famous Partisan medical lecturer and his
treatise on poisoDs has never been
equaled. It was said of this work by an
English physician that sit is a vast
mine of experimental observation on
the varied symptoms Of poisoning, or
the appearance which poisons create or
the dead body, and on the means OF de-
lection" Orila WAS a frequent writer
| On poison cases, the most 1emarIable Of
which was that Of Count Bocarme in
1850, and which created an intense IN
terest throughout Europe. Bocarme
poisoned his victim with nicotine, the
essential oil OF tobacco. He expert
mented on birds and on animals to as
certain the strength of the poison, ana
their dead bodies were dug up and N
creased the damaging testimony. He
was convicted and only escaped the
guillotine by committing suicide. 1t
may now be said as the direct conclu-
sions Of science that no poison can be
given which will not leave an inevitable
proof in the very body of the victim,
o41Nl OAlC A0CtSA C1AuS OSSOluOS GIIG IlOoU
dangerous with men in the case. Az
senic, for instance, is readily identified,
as may be learned from the Malley trial.
Strychnine reveals itself in the rigor
mortes (as it is term9d) OR r1gidity of the
corpse. Prussic acid tells its tale in the
condition of the blood, and hence there
can be no concealment in such cases.
The capital convictions in this country
include cases of .strychnine, arsenic and
aconite and between them both laurei
water (Which is Of the same nature with
prussic acidD also revealed itself and
aided nicotine. Hence it appears thaF
poisoning is dangerous business.-N