Amador ledger., 1906-07-20

depressed, becomes weak, and is GOV
cred with cold peIspiration. In cas-
that. death follows veratrum virid
poisoning, it is not until quite tim
after the administration of the drug
Ihe shortest time in which dealt
Das occurred following veratrum vir
loe poisoning being thirteen hours
and 1t has been prolonged until deatl
mas occurred "a hours after havins
taKen the dose. F.. The first symp
toms of veratrum viride taken in poi
sonous doses Is the irritation of the
stomach and vomiting DR.. End
oott for the prosecution testified that,
1.-THE symptoms of veratrum viride,
when given in poisonous doses. is 6
partial collapse, then slight pulse.
usually covered with a cold perspira
tion, and, as usual thing, suffering
from nausea. Vomiting does NOT
frequently accompany it, but if taken
internally vomiting would accompany
1T in large majority of cases. but not
immediately; sometimes produces
intense burning in the stomach. ="
This is fair em mbodiment of all the
testimony in the case as to the effect
OF veratrum viride upon the stomach
when administered in poisonous doses.
From 1T, it appears that veratrum
viride is slow poison, and that death
would not result from it within at
least thirteen hours, after it was
given. This is the only evidence in
the case as to the time within which
death would earliest ensue. Defen-
dant obtained the drug about five D.
M. Assuming that he administered
it, or commenced doing so, imme-
diately after obtaining it (which is
not claimed (still, as Mrs. Staples
died at 8 10 p. m. it would appear
from the only expert evidence on the
subject that a sufficient time (three
hours and quarter) had not elapsed
tor the poison to have occasioned her
death. Respondent insists that, owing
to the weakened, debilitated condition
OF Mrs. Staples, the administration
OF a poisonous dose of veratrum
viride, administered at the time it
is claimed it was, (7.30 p. m. would
cause death in much shorter time
than if administered to one in good
health. This may or may not be true
Whether veratrum viride in poisonous
dose would operate more speedily on
Mrs Staples, on account of her de-
bilitated condition, so as to cause her
death, and within what time iG would
so operate, were pertinent and essen
tial matters of proof in the case, and
neither jury, counsel, DOR this court,
can indulge in a speculation on the
subject contrary to the only evidence
in the case upon that point. But aside
from this, there was an absence of
the symptoms which accompany poi
soning from veratrum viri0e. There
was no vomiting Ibis is testified. to
by the defendant. But laying his tes-
timony aside, it is also testified by
Mrs Reeves, the housekeeper, who was
present from the time the LIQUID,
which is claimed by the prosecution
to have been veratrum viride was ad
until Mrs Staples died.
Whatever may be said of the testi-
nony of the defendant, the integrity
of Mrs Reeves as witness, and the
accuracy of her observations in the |
sick room. are not questioned, She |
iestif1es that during that period there |
vas no vomiting, and the evidence |
clearly shows that at no period during
Mrs Staples sickness was there any.
10 meet this testimony, 1t is again in
sisted by respondent that the slight |
vitality OF Mrs Staples prevented the
of these symptoms. But it
lowheIe appears from the evidence !
hat this debilitated condition would
prevent this characteristic symptom
If the poisoning from appearing. No
witness testities that 1t would, but, on
he contary, all testified that it is
ymptom which will appear. The no
nj 70 Ia
While the death of Mrs Staples.was oc-
poison, yet, before the symptoms
showed that she was so poisoned she
lied. Whatever merit there may be 10
his position, nothing in the evidence
n the case furnishes any basis for it
]eing taken. IT she was poisoned by
vlride, the expert evidence
hows that this symptom of 1t would
lave manifested itself; as it did not,
t is evidence strongly tending to
show that she was not so poisoned.
We now come to the autopsy, and |
its bearing first, on the mat
er of poisoning by veratrum viride.
The exhumation of the body was 48
lays after death. AS to the autopsy
tself, the testimony of the two autop-
" physicians Is that they found no
or diseased condition
sufficient in their opinion to account
or the death of Mrs Staples; there
vas no apparent cause of death which
hey could ascertain, which of course
must be taken to include that they |
lid not find any evidence of poisoning
0y veIatrum viride or any other poi
ION. Mr. Price, the chemist making
he autopsy, testified that as far as
7eIatrum viride was concerned, he
'ound no evidence OF its presence in
he analysis of the stomach which he
made. This evidence, If the presence
If veratrum viride would have been
discovered by an autopsy or by chem
cal test after death, would be almost |
persuasive proof that veratrum viride
lad not been administered to the de-
70 meet this, however, the
introduced the evidence
If the autopsy physicians, testifying
Is such, and not as chemists or toXi-
,ologists, to the effect that veratrum
7iIide being a vegetable drug, If ad-
all traces of it would dis
lppear between two and three weeks
lfter death. 70 be specific, DR. En-
licott was asked; 20. How long after
t (veratrum virlde) would be admin
stored could it be found? A. 1t could
lot be found any great length of time
fter death in my opinion, because it
s a vegetable compound; it would /
Q. How long would it take
his particular drug to decompose, be
ng a vegetable matter, after being ad
A. could not state a |
lefiuite period of time.
Q. WE'LL, can you give about the
ime? A. Well, | should say in two
weeks anyway that there would not be