Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-04-03
western 1unatIc Asylum myntery,

WeGueEm LuuAb1C Asylum mypUeFys
FURTHER INSTRUMENTATION OF THE COLO
-NER's JURY. Ia
The coroner's jury in the poisoning cases a
the Western Lunatic Asylum met again or
last Tuesday and re- examin ed DR.. D. E. Strair
and DR.. II. s. Crockett Assistant Physicians
with regard to the cases OF Mr.. windle and
Mrs. Alexander, patients, who. though they
recovered, were thought to have been poisoned
in the same manner as those who died.
DIR. STRAIN,
on the evening OF February 2srd, went to SCI
Windle at the request Of DIR. r. 8. Hamilton
who told him that Windle had been taken sicl
soon after taking dose Of laudnum and tur
pentine and showed symptoms Of syncope
followed by symptoms of paralysis. Went tt
Windles room, found him entirely conscious
but his tongue seemed thick, and he seemed to
talk like drunken man. Windle told hin
that he was taken sick soon after taking SOM
medicine in the office; that he laid down for
while on a bed in the first ward, but soon go
up and called to his roommate Fenton to az
sIst him to his room on the second floor; tina
the medicine had been given him by DIR. But
ler Or Strain and DIR. Hamilton were pres
emit when it was gIven.) Asked. Windle II III
had ever taken laudanum or opium in any
form before and what effect 1t had produced or
him. Said that some years ago he had taken
three ounces OF laudnanum and was saved by
some physician Said he had frequently since
taken opiates and it always flew to his head. Z
Asked him with regard to the effect Of turpen-
tine. His reply was that thirty years ago he
took dose OF turpentine which had similar
effects to those he was experiencing at This
time. a
TIoc sold ho of dose
turpentine until after he had swallowed 1t.
The witness was satisfied that Windle's sick
ness was produced by the turpentine, and the
effect was due to an idiosyncrasy and no told
him, telling him he would be better by morning.
Didn't see him the next day at all, but Sunday
evening, February 25th, saw him with DR..
Crockett. Found him in his room sitting on
the bed. He made statements similar to those
Just given you, in the presence of DIR. Crockett,
with reference to the turrentine. DIR. Buffers
notes show that the dose given was IL drops OF
Munn's elixir of opium, IL drops OF turpen-
tine and a drachm Of gumarabic.
Windle was sick and depressed, but did not
show any disposition to vomit as the patients
who were poisoned did. Nobody, not even
Windle himself, would have thought of pol
soning in connection with the case had not the
deaths occurred afterwards.
DIR. CROCKETT
corroborated the testimony OF DR.. Strain about
the Adams case. AS to Mrs. Alexander, he
had first seen her on the evening OF February
2th, when he found her in q comatose condi-
ton, and as she wasnot able to swallow, did
not prescribe any medicine for her. Saw her a
second time that evening, and she was still in
the same condition. Know nothing Of her first
attack except by hearsay, as he had been sick.
and she had been attended by Dr.. Butler. She
had been under witnesses care since last June,
and he was satisfied she had taken no medi-
cine since then. She was violently opposed to
taking any medicine herself and even tried to
keep other patients from taking theirs.
To some extent Mrs. Alexanders symptoms
correspondent with those of Myers, one of the
patients poisoned and who survived. The
stupor might have been due to the very hard
fall and conclusion of the brain resulting
therefrom, which she sustained on the 2Srd.
TESTIMONY OF DR.. WIN. HAMILTON.
On Thursday the jury again met, and DR..
Win. Hamilton, who had been Assistant Phy-
stefan at the Asylum from July, 1851, to June
9th, 1882, period of nearly thirty-one years,
testified as follows:
Was himself in the habit of dispensing the
medicines until DR.. P. L. Murphy was chosen
Third Assistant Physician under DR.. Fauntle-
roys administration. Never saw any Aconi-
tine in the dispensary, nor any fluid extract OF
Aconite. The Tincture of Aconite was kept in
a bottle marked "Poison" and had printed
label OMIT. 1t was only administered seldom,
and then for acute inf1ammatory diseases and
heart disease. There were between one and
two pints in the bottle, which was a quart bot
tie that had been there several years. The
tincture was bought ready prepared.
@. From your experience and knowledge OF
the workings OF the Asylum can you give any
theory to account for the poisoning of the oath
February?
A. The poisoning might have occurred in
several ways. Possibly mistake Of the dis
penser, by his adding fluid extract or tincture
OF aconite, If there was any there; or the poi.
son might have been added by some homicidal
lunatic after the cups were put in the hall, OIL
by some malicious person. About the proba-
bility of any of these theories have no decid.
ed opinion. By Dr. Mallet's analysis of Adams
stomach it was ascertained that it contained
more than four-fifths of grain of Aconitine
The cup from which Adams drank holds thret
fluid ounces. think three fluid ounces o
Tincture OF Aconite could not probably con
tain as much Aconitine as was found in AID
ans stomach. The fluid extract contains
more Aconitine, but how much more canno
say. 1t is more than probable that If Adams
stomach alone showed four-ffths of a grain
every tissue of his body contained some more
of it.
@. Is there any other information you deem
it necessary to state which will throw light or
the poisoning?
A. would ask leave to state that formed
high opinion of DIR. Buffers ability and fidelity
during my stay at the Asylum after he haG
charge of the medical dispensary. 1t Is due tt
him to state this. t..E.
DIR. W. W. 8. BUTLER,
whose previous testimony has been published
was recalled and testified that he knew of nc
Tincture OF Aconite being in the dispensary
previous to July. In July one pound of fluid
extract was gotten, from which ounces were
taken to prepare 8 ounces OF tincture. Of the
pound of extract, ID ounces are still in the
dispensary. and Of the ounces Of tincture
ounces are there unused. If there was any
tincture there previous TO July it was thrown
away with other drugs, when the dispensary
was refurnished. either out of the window Oh
into the sink. There were two negroes assist
ing at the cleaning up. The old bottles were
washed and used again. Witness did not heal
of any of the patients finding any of the bottles
Witness described the dose given by him to
Windle and its effects, his evidence being of the
same tenor with that of Drs. Strain and Crockett
He thought II W. had received any Aconitine
in his dose it must have been in the form of an
alkaloid, and even that was improbable. From
his observation of Windle's case, he thought
there was some latent cerebral trouble, and the
dose of turpentine and opium produced con-
gestion of the brain. aF
In the case of Mrs. Alexander, who, like
Windle, had an attack the day before the fatal
poisoning of others, witness said she had not
taken any medicine during his administration.
Her symptoms. witness thought, could have
been produced by fall she had, in which she
might have struck her head. Poisoning in her
case would not have suggested itself to him
but for the subsequent fatal poisoning. Wit
ness said the medicines were diluted with wa