The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-17
Physicians Testify PtOmaines
Killed His Wife.
NO SIGN OF OTHER POISON
DR.. FOrman, Who Attended Last III
ness and Autopsy, Says Neither
Arsenic Nor Ground Glass Pro-
duced Death-Aged Mother of De-
fendant CivesDramatic Testimony.

wife the jury that is listening to the
case is likely 80 arrive at a verdict of
not guilty when the case is given to it
late tomorrow or early Thursday.
This was field day for the defense,
three physicians. one of them the per-
sonal physician Of George J. Gould. the
millionaire, after having the symptoms
which marked Mrs. Brouwer's last illness
described to them. unhesitatingly swear
ing that in their opinion she died of pto-
maine poisoning.
The aged mother of the defendant also
testified IN his behalf, and when she stag
= Cered from the witness stand. weak with
the ordeal through which she had passed,
but protesting that her boy could not
have killed the mother Of his children,
there was hardly a dry eye IN the court
room
To the hypothetical question prepared
By the defense setting forth the various
symptoms Of the malady Of Mrs. Brou-
wer. DR.. Mclean FOTman, who was called
in in her last illness. said.
Il believe Mrs Brouwer died Of pto-
maine poisoning. Every symptom indi-
Gated this
To the same question DR.. H. Hance, Of
Lakewood. n. J., George. Gould's family
physician, swOTe:
I believe from the facts stated at the
trial that Mrs. BrOuwer was killed by
ptomaines"
This was also the evidence Of DR.. J. ".
Mcmillan. the third physician called as
a witness by the defense to-day. As q
result OF the developments of the day,
therefore. Or. Brouwer went back 20 his
cell much comforted. and drclared that
he had no doubt that he would be free
before the end Of the week.
No Symptoms of Strychninc.
Dr. Forman was, by all odds, the best
of the witnesses for the defense, as he
IS well known TO nearly every man on
the jury, having practced medicine for
forty years, and not only was he pres
ent during the last illness of Mrs.
Brouwer but he also was present months
later when the body was exhumed Tor
the purpose % having an autopsy per
formed.
THE autopsy failed to reveal any cause
OF death" he declared Had she died
of arsenical poisoning the condition of
the internal organs would have shown
it plainly.
DR.. Forman stated that he was called
IN when Mrs. Brouwer was seized with
convulsions, and that when he reached
the Brouwer house he was met by Nurse
Lippincott She told of the commissions
of the patient, and of her own suspicion
that Mrs. Brouwer was suffering from
stryChnine poisoning.
Yet. thus warned, DR. FOrman declar-
ed he found no symptoms of strychnine
poisoning.
"Dr. Brouwer called me on the phone.
declared Dr. Forman, and said that mis-
wife was having convulsions, and he
thought she was developing cerebro-spinal
meningitis / told him 1 could not get a
train from Freehold, and he told me
get an automobile or some conveyance
His manner was very urgent
The witness said he went to Dr. Brou-
wer's house the next day and was met
by Miss Lippincott, the nurse
''She took me into the doctors office. "
he continued. and gave me the early
symptoms of the case. and told me that
she suspected strychnine had been adj
ministered."
Thus warned. what did you find?"
The witness described the symptoms.
The commissions were over. but she
showed no signs Of her muscles being
drawn Her legs might have been drawn
up as the result Of the pain in her alb
dOmen.''
did you see Miss Lippincott again?"
her that her suspicious were probably
gT0undless."
Autopsy Shed no Light.
Q. Did the autopsy disclose the cause
OF death?
A. No
Q. Was the appearance Of the stom-
ach such that ptomaine poisoning might
have been the cause Of death?
A. Yes.
Q. Was there one symptom noticed dur
ing the illness of Mrs. Brouwer which is
not present in ptomaine poisoning?
A. Not one.
Replying to a long question relative 70
the food End drink taken by Mrs. Brou-
wer, and a detailed recital of the symp-
toms of the case. DR. Forman said:
I believe the first seizure was the re
suit of the food and drink Ptomaine
poison caused the commissions. These
symptoms would not indicate the pres
ence of arsenic because there were no
serious discharges, no area of lost sensa-
ton and no spots on the body"
Q. What particular feature Of ptomaine
poisoning. in your opinion, caused the
commissions?
a. An explosion of accumulated pto-
maine.
Ground Glass Not Deadly.
Q. Do you believe the glass found in
the body of Mrs. Brouwer had anything
10 do with her sickness OF. death.
\ Not thing 10 do with IT,
Q. Why do you say that?
y Because powdered glass is not dead
", as some persons believe IT to be. It
has been demonstrated that large quaint
ties of glass can be taken into the stonl-
ach without serious results. I believe a
person could take a teaspoOnful Of glass
similar to that found in Mrs. BF0uwers
body ana no serious results would fol-
low.
The prosecutions long hypothetical
question, defining all Of the symptoms in
the case. and which Prof. Marshall. the
chief expert for the prosecution swOre
indicated poisoning by arsenic, was then
put to the witness, and, after he had It
read TO him again, and had deliberated
over it, be replied:
Il believe, under all those conditions,
that death was caused by ptomaine pois-
oning.
The evidence of DIT. Hance, and Dr..
Mcmillan, was along the lines of that of
DR. Forman, and they stated their con-
illusions.
When the prosecutor asked Hance if it
was not a fact that he GIance) had
called q separate meeting Of Ocean County
Medical Society to ask its members to
raise funds for the defense of the pris-
oner, the witness said
"A meeting was called. but not for
such a purpose. Some OF d.. BrOuWeT's
friends were willing to lend him money
TO conduct his defense, but it was not
needed"