The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-11-19
MURDER AND POISON.
Carlyle Harris and Thomas Neill Cream
Casea In which the PhysicIan's dag.
nosls has shielded Crime.

Cases In which the Phy.icIan's dag.
nosis has Shielded Crime.
THE testimony OF certain physicians in
the trial OF DR.. Thomas Neill Cream. hanged
In London last Tuesday for poisoning several
women" said physician OF this city. brings
to public attention q matter which was agi-
tated last in this country during the trial OF
Carlyle Harris for poisoning his young wife.
This is the matter of physicians signing death
certificates without proper investigation OF
tho causes OF death. The phase OF 1t which
came up in connection with DR.. Cream was far
moro serious than the manner OF tho death OF
Helen Potts DIR. Cream concocted an inke-
NOUS combination OF strychnne and opium
especially calculated for use in destroying wo-
men OF the town. Most OF them. especially in
England. are violently intem perate. and deaths
among them from alcoholism are frequent.
DR.. Creams poison In its outward manifesto
tions closely simulated the symptoms OF alco.
holism. And it was by accident. rather than
by exercise OF medical knowledge. that the
physicians discovered the real cause OF death.
Had Dr. Craam chosen some other class Of
persons than women Of tho town for his opera
tions. there is no reason to doubt but that he
would have used other poisons which would
have produced effects similar to diseases most
likely to deceive the eyes Of the physician
attending: Nowadays n knowledge Of tho
workings and uses # posons Is WITHIN rencn
Of any person Of education and Intelligence. 1t
has "ftrn been said tiiat the on'r reason more
preme' iiat"'i murders mr." not i"un! ont
against rcoiie nt the htgner r!ass"~ IS that
500 the suspicious circumstances ana avoid
them. As tho same Instincts i"1--"s, human
beings high and low. ana ~ con science Is NOT
u matter 81 culture. there Is basis "' ruin 10
this reasoning. il seems III. NOR probable
when one ca. les to coneli"r the use oil poison
as an instrument OF murder. Every one VIII
recall r'4'Iilr numb"r 81 "n':r Where. ns IN
roi-on"r was no, du" l." Iirst finding that u
Grim" hnd been commit. WHICH finding
shoNiI nwlys be- made by H. i,l,T,sirnr, ~.
seem thai III. danger. in which sor",y has
gcne-lly supposed. II j. true that the nlr-
eral poi>ou- are easily G"'".t".. nj there arc
tho {os,''ablo rHi>"gs ro'nt!y til. y"E-'nhIs
sii .tui hands 1t n fhriy 0ui or!Gn" tiHc. viii
tn'i!e AMI ir'"at III" ,nnwlr,G- Of the pnys,-
rinn. tiuIs III" posi- niull''Ni ~ reveal them
and il properly har':!.i, tI."y sr.,iom raise
any -':~r"in in tine N nj Of 'ln' hhy,.clnn
proceed" !h,' post u.ort"m. 'tT"rw-r II Is the
h Ny "f r'v-'rtan. '"rnh-n't me W. ne e
to the sur.e"n'7 hn;i". "a "'iiS' 10 hur1ei
without scar -n'n; r.'rli"hit'
There i not ~ ,'rSn a%' NJ carl: DIS
toms an in'a!'u!" n''": +" =, ," that
tn" A:h, glance - ~" 'V'i'an wi!
reveal !, icy"ni NJ lcr"'l,,'n, inc 81 i.
same ,,vniI'toM-. nLI each "- - nj ra"r"i a.
ease hns It. p'ruia' tiles whi III VA" '!"r"
, the physician iut,trlinTln. il h" "pWei pa.
| elise. Ihr," Ne..r.t alto h.hH!uIl pr!>rDS CLOAK
themselves behind TIE ni';""ra e" OF many
natural and initial disug' er- h" Nh'>!"ihn, IL
he hav" no cause for r!-l"r'in.: rl"", l. Ger.
tain 10 l." deceived IN" -yinf '"'nS may pot
ho exactly ike III" ,li-"a~" MS '.i"Gn",i- has
found, tui. as has irc!I sn. "Hri case !IIN rs
r.ruIiarilics aud thr h"~' u hy~!'',ar NAY
, expect j. that tine SNlU.'"'r" "a. ", 4 :"n"ittl
, resemblance to wu9t the I"ph~ u'!l h:s cNrr-
ricnce haze tal:h ltiuI.
III the physician fuIl.. ~ u" seems 10 ia'i.
in th. lrn,f@r al ,!ia .no-i~. what r"''l,liv htt
any man nrain-i mtI:.:uH,t ~ re-" or hdtr.d
"MoIrrn So"i'ty. wuIrh has So ifs"l'
Of modern He, Sums t, lav. LETT IN.
phys!"inn-, and til" rhy>hi,n- have "nnvr''i
themselves. The signing "' deaf tn cert :i"n'"..
in II city where every doctor mas ITO Il ..'
least one" u week and some pnbllc to"t''5
many times each day has hccoGne II \. y
formal and hurried Tr,hr i 'n n -
in til. pressure which IL. iricnis Of tr'' =.
ceased and the undsr'aker in attendaHrr l,.,;
toned have disclosed that physicians r'"A
have the habit. o' signing death ""I'
tiNcates when they We're not IN A''rf'.
nnce but we're simply the famNf :'',nr'.
and had the testimony Of ,thos vi" were
but the physicians excuse Is - ihIF IA.
known this person OF too full blood ~ y Wea,,
heart or Of drinking habit would lir t.D,",t
death. AMI. as they wore friend "a" ,","d..
they did not want to cause an'''"N'' ~ 49,.
having for u post mortem. ,,l :,
would simrly be putting ur"m'"" ." l''''''