Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-05-02
DO you know what was in the bo.

Q.-Do you know what was in the bot
tie?
Al poured the contents into the sink
on my second visit. Ambrose Getchell
came during my first visit.
| After the deceased was laii out witness
said if they would get him a bottle he would
make solution to use on the face. This
was in tie presence Of several. Asked Mrs.
Kf en- to get bottle. Mrs. Getchell got up
to assist her in finding the bottle. Mrs.
Getchell brought the bottle with gin and
sulphur, and asked if it would be any use
to keep the medicine longer. He said no
and poured it into the sink and prepared a
solution of carbolic acid in it.
Q-Will you tell what Mrs. Getchell
said about bis going to the barn?
A.-She said he went to barn
Ole or they!
A.-Don't remember. She told me she
thought he had liquor in the barn.
Witness said Getchell also told him he
went to the barn to do chores. At this the
county attorney referred to the testimony
Driscoll gave before grand jury and that it
wasn't like this. The court said that was
not admissible. The witness appeared con-
fused and then said he was sure Mr.. Getch.
ell told him so in such a way that he had
firm conviction Getchell did go to the barn.
Getchell may have told him so. Witness
finally said wasn't sure that Getchell told
him so.
1t did not occur to him at the time that
the symptoms were those of strychnine
poisoning. Had since concluded they were
symptoms of such poisoning.
Q-What was the size of the bottle.
Alt was pint bottle think.
GA pint bottle? are you sure?
Aim quite sure it was a pint bottle
Somewhat oval in shape. 1t was less than
an eight full.
Odd you tell Mrs. Getchell at any
time that if you had known his private parts
had swollen up and turned black you would
have known there was no help for him?
Al did not.
Mrs. Getchell hsd talked to him several
times. Mrs. Getchell said no one was there
that forenoon save Emery Nash and Lafor-
est Trask. She said no one had been near
the bottle. She said she was at home all
the forenoon. Witness said she told him
that her husband had said to her that what
he took before the doctor came tasted queer
and he spit it out, She told this about two
weeks after his death. She aaid her hus-
oand had been taken with numb spells in
Augusta. She said the day of his death
and since that her husband had a numb
spell one night that week he died and size
rubbed him.
She at another time pointed out bottle
which she said contained medicine that he
was taking. She said DR.. Bessey had
treated him for heart trouble for some
time.
Witness said he had previously treated
Getchell occasionally during the four years
he had practiced there. Once he had COM
planned of rheumatism, at another time of
difficulty with his heart. After he came
back that Saturday evening they told him
Getchell had died in commissions more
severe than any he had.
Q.-Can you account for the return of
the commissions, assuming your directions
had been followed?
Objected to.
Q.-Have you knowledge of strychnine
poisoning?
Al have from reading, not from expe
rience. Especially from reading since this
event.
Mr.. Heath submitted that the witness was
not qualified to testify as an expert. He
had shown that at the time of the event that
he was not qualified to treat the case. Did
not make this as criticism of DR.. Driscoll.
Many physicians never had case of this
kind.
The court said he might say what effect
his treatment would have upon such cOnvnl-
sions.
A-As he was doing when left him it
seems he should have recovered.
This was striker out as not admissible.
Q.-What in your opinion would be the
effect of the hyperdermic injection of NOR
peine and other medicines you gave?
A.-They quieted him almost entirely.
Q.-Taking into consideration the effect
you saw produced by the injection of one
fourth grain of morphine and the other
medicines which you gave, assuming that
the commissions were caused by strychnine
taken into the system since IL o'clock of
that day, what would you expect, that a
patient would recover or not?
Al should expect him to recover.
Exceptions were taken to the admission
of this.
Court decided witness was qualified to
testify on this and that testimony should be
admitted.
Exception was allowed on the ground
that the witness wasn't qualified, as an ex-
pert, to answer.
Cross-examined-In answering the hypo-
thetical question, do you assume that NOR
phine hyperiermically injected would cure
stry chime poisoning, that without it would
| be fatal?
Al think so.
In response to another question, witness
said as the patient was doing when he left
him he ought to have recovered.
Mr.. Heath read the hypothetical question
and asked witness if he understood it.
A.-Doing as he was, should expect
him to recover under any treatment most.
Could not tell from the face symptoms
CONTINUED on 9Th page.