The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-25

AnSwef-''He was IN a sort OF StupOr.
and Mrs. Walter was trying to call his
attention to her by rubbing him.
DIR. T. 0. soSERs, OF JACKSONVILLE.
At the conclusion of this testimony,
DIR. I. o. Somers, of Jacksonville, was
invited to give testimony as an expert.
The following is substantially the testi-
mony given by DIR. Somers:
''Dr. Somers, are you a homeopath or
an allopath?
81 am neither. am physician.
''Do you prescribe allopathic or home
opathic remedies
Il prescribe anything that experience
has proven to be good for the disease
am treating"
"What is the usual dose of morphine
'sThat depends upon the disease, the
patient, the sex, age, temperament, sur
roundings, present and previous condi-
ton"
"How much morphine have you ever
given in single dose%'
so much-and with the happiest re
sults-that | am almost afraid TO say for
fear l will not be believed"
''Would you, under certain circum-
stances, give as much as two grains of
morphine in two hours timer
Eyes, and as much again in some
cases.
''But would you not consider that
amount very dangerous?'
I'm some cases where there are GER
tain idiOsyncrasies one-eigthth of a grain
would be dangerous dose. In other
cases the amount mentioned may be
doubled with safety"
I'm case of morphine poisoning are the
prnniOV
same that a homeopathic physician
would prescribe
las | said before | know nothing
about homeopathy or any other dogma
practically, but Judging from their
motto. "Simiiia similibus curantur, l
should think that our treatment would
be very rent-diametrically OPP
posite.'
s'Do you mean that in cases of mor-
phine poisoning the homeopathic treat
ment would be to give little more NOR
phine?'
IF they stick to their dogma-yes. "
what do you consider the best anti
dotes for morphine poisoning"
Pain, atropine and caifein."
''Then. so long as pain continued,
would you think it safe to continue to
give one-fifth grain doses of morphine at
intervals of fifteen or twenty minutes =
81 should, certainly"
"Woulh there be no danger in such
doses given hypodermically =
IF symptoms of poisoning should de-
velop / should confidently expect to
prevent any bad results by administer
ing proper remedies. | think that the
fact of the amount given being admin
istered into seven doses shows that an
unusual amount of caution was OBJ
served
DIR. Somers' testimony was concluded
at 4:10 o'clock, when the jury retired to
| the jury room. About an hour after re-
| firing, DIR. r. A. Lancaster, of Gaines
vile, was called in and, as an expert,
was examined by the jury. On his re-
turn from the jury room DIR. Lancaster
said that he had stated to the jury that
he had often given as much as two
grains of morphine within two hours,
| and with the happiest results.
At ten minutes before o'clock the
jury returned and the foreman handed
| to the coroner their verdict, which was
read by Sheriff 'Zehnbar amid the most
intense stiffness. The following is the
verdict:
| THE VERDICT.
| ''STATE OF FLORIDA. !
| COUNTY OF PUTNAM. {
LAS inquisition held on the body of
| Charles A. Walter, of the city of Pa
latka, county and State aforesaid, on
the cath day of February, A. d. 1888,
before me, Lott Allen, Justice of the
| Peace and Ex-officio Coroner in and for
said county, upon the oaths of J. IL. Fry,
| G. p. Devereux, Joseph Lynn, Henis
Petermann, S. E. Bond and NJ. l. Coke
good and lawful men of said county
who, being duly sworn to inquire into
all the circumstances of the death ol
said Charles A. Walter, by whom pro
duced and in what manner, upon theil
oaths do say:
THAT the said Charles A. Walter
came TO his death from natural causes
and that we exonerate the physicians
who attended him.
''In testimony whereof, as well th'
said Justice of the Peace, ex-officio cor
oner, as the jurors aforesaid, have t
this inquisition set their hands and seals
on the day of the date of this inquisition
as aforesaid.