The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-08-06
rnE DALLEs SENSATION.

=
opinion of a Portland Physiefan--- Pa
thoIogy VS.. Chemistrs.
From the Daily Oregonian.l
The alleged poisoning case at The
Dalles, an account of which appeared in
yesterday Oregonian, has attracted
considerable, attention of thinking ply
siciais, especially of DR.. Otto s.. Bins
wanger,. who expresses his opinion as
follows: y - -.
In the Oregonian I read a sensational
report, coming from The Dalles, which
not only. excited my curiosity but also
aroused any sym pathy and scientific in
terest. According to the. report Mrs.
Matilda G. Rogers died suddenly July Z.
Other Information which Ireceived gives
the date OF her death. June as. One
week later. July IA. the body was cx-
shumed and the stomach, heart, kidneys,
lungs and liver wares sent for chemical
analysis. to Portland. The chemist re-
ported the presence of sulphate of zinc
Or chloride of zinc and also the stomach
and intestines in highly infiamed con-
dition, Oh the strength OF that analy-
sis. the justice decided to bind over
William Bergfeld. the son-in-law and
suspected murderer of Mrs. Rogers.
without bonds, to appear before the
grand jury in November, and he is now
in the hands OF the sheriff. Permit me
to quote Eone OF the statements of that
report, also some of the results of the
analysis, and let US examine them in a
scientific light.
/. The analysis proves the presence
of sulphate of zinc or chloride of zinc"
The statement, 'feither sulphate or chic
ride Of zinc" after the analaysisi is made
is worthless. The examination must
show with absolute certainty which one
of the two was contained in the stom-
ach. s
2. "The body of Mrs. Matilda c. Rog-
ers, who died suddenly a week before.
ETC." &
While it is true that suiphate OF zinc
or chloride of zinc can, under certain
circumstances, cause death, they never
viii kill suddenly. In small doses they
produce gastric inflammation In larger
doses sulphate of zinc produces voInit-
| ing, and chloride of zinc cauterization OF
the stomach, which does not prove fatal
suddenly. Besides, the chloride of zinc
in large doses would leave erosion in the
mucue membrane of the stomach. The
report only speaks of inhamation of the
stomach and not of the erosions.
3. The chemest reported the lungs,
heart, kidneys and liver in normal con-
dition, but the stomach and intestines
! highly fnfiained.
{, It is very doubtful that after a body
! has been buried for one or two weeks
even If it was embalmed in the ordinary
way, it would show yet distinct infiam-
| nation of the stomach and intestines
In order to carry some weight, such a
statement must come from physician
and not from q chemist, whose knowl-
edge of pathology is at the very best
rrdimentary.
Granting, therefore, that sulphate OF
zinc or chloride of zinc was fond in the
stomach of airH. Rogers. it is more than
doubtful that their presence caused he,
sudden death. Bergheld is under arrest
and kept fog trial. and ON the strength,
of this chemical analysis may even lose
his life. Although personally acquaint-
ediwith Assayer Fisk and on friendly
terms with him, Ideem it NV duty to
call the attention OF the proper author
tiles to the insufficient evidence result
ing from his report.