The Sun. — 1866-07-17 (London, England)

INQUEST AND EVIDENCE OF DR. TAYLOR. lasting BRIGHTON, Monday Evening. This afternoon Mr. David Black and the jury empaunelled to ascertain the cause of the death of 11, ,Torsl.ivEe IBlernanlerliev, airesfntiZ a rain, a vle Irrna r dseari wroeo-street ss terme ebtl,e d and at after the n investigation returned three and Ifaoduyr lour had been poisoned by verdictthatbet w theeen unfortunate her late husband, Dr. IVarder. Mr. Stuckey, solicitor, represented the family of the deceased lady. The case excited extraordinary interest, and the inquest-room was nearly filled with medical men anxious to hear the scientific evidence of Professor Taylor and Dr. Wilks. Dr. Alfred S. Taylor sail he analysed the contents of the stomach and small intestines of the deceased for mineral and vegetable poisons, but found no traces of either. At the same time he saw nothing to account naturally for death. The contents of the stomach and intes • tines were slightly coloured with blood. He had injected the concentrated extract of the matter into the neck of a young rabbit, but the animal was quite healthy five hours after, while a similar • experiment with diluted aconite killed a rabbit •in three minutes. But though no aconite was found • in the body, it could not be inferred that death had not been caused by it, for if administered in small doses and not for some hours before death none could be found. Dr. S. Wilks, lecturer on medicine at Guy's -Hospital, found inflai • nmation of the mucous membrane of the kidneys, and • evidence of previous inflammation of the tongue and gums, but not sufficient to account for death • He found nothing in the organs of the deceased sufficient to account for death. The Coroner then read over at length the depositions of Dr. Taafe, who was again examined at more length, and questioned by Dr. Taylor. He said he saw no natural cause to which Mrs. Warder's death could be assi • gned. After hearing this evidence, and that of Dr. Wilks, who had assisted at the analysis of the stomach and intestines, Dr. Taylor announced that he had formed au opinion as to the cause of death. Ile said—l have come to the conclusion that the symptoms are those of death from some poison, aconite most probably. My reasons for this opinion are these :—The parched condition of the throat, thirst, constriction of the throat, frequent and severe vomiting without any natural cause to account for it; the cessation and recurrence of the symptoms without any natural cause to explain it, the sickness not yielding to the usual sedative remedies, but coming on at intervals, showing great irritability of stomach such as irritant poison would cause; all food and liquids being instantly rejected, although no ulceration was afterwards found to explain it; the severe griping pains in the bowels; no purging; the great depression of the heart's action as denoted by the feeble pulse and the muscular weakness. Then therecovery and relapse without apparent cause form a striking difference between cases of poisoning and disease. Taking the symptoms as a whole, they are not consistent with any disease I have either seen, read of, or heard of ; but they are consistent with such as would be produced by tincture of aconite at intervals in small doses. Some other vegetable irritant might have produced the effect, but I think it was most likely aconite. The appearances of the body do not show any natural cause for death, but they are such as result from the action of aconite on the body. I was much struck with the appearance of the contents of the stomach. They were coloured with blood, denoting irritation. In answer to a juror, Dr. Taylor said that as a medical man Dr. Warder would know how to administer the drug so as to leave no traces. Besides, Dr. Warder was one of the school that came forward to defend Palmer. He lectured on poisons at the Grosvenor-place School of Medicine, which now no longer existed. The Coroner having summed up, The following verdict was agreed to That Ellen Vivian Warder, aged 36 years, was feloniously, wilfully, and of malice aforethought killed and murdered by Alfred William Warder, her husband, since deceased, at No. 36, Bedford-square, Brighton."