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Leader (1850-1860), 24th May 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 485, Untitled Article

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      ; first -witness examined last Saturday was the celeed George Bates , -whose life Palmer wished to insure , testimony had reference to Palmer ' s bribing the inter , "Mr . Ward , first by sending him game , and rwards ( as it would seem from the statements made he witness ) by transmitting to him in a letter a 51 . [ r . Thomas Blizzard Curling , surgeon at the London ipital , was the next witness . He deposed simply to ters of science , and stated that there are two kinds rue tetanus—idiopathic and traumatic ; that there

      some other diseases producing contraction of the cles , not properly called tetanus ; that traumatic nus' may arise from a wound or other disturbing ie ; that he had never known tetanus produced by throat Or syphilis ; that the disease , when once menced , is continuous , and not intermittent , as in the of Mr . Cooke ; that the symptoms described in that are not those either of idiopathic or traumatic teta-I and that mix' vomica , ' prussic' acid , and strychnine produce the disorders in question . He had known ms to arise' from disease of the spinal cord . A case raumatic tetanus was recently brought into the Ion Hospital : it came on so suddenly that strych-Was' suspected ; but , on examination of the body

      • death , no traces of that poison were found . Seve-> ld -syphilitic sores , however , were discovered on the ¦; but the witness did not think that death could i thns resulted in the case of Mr . Cooke , because the i in Question were , with him , in the throat , and ifore protected from friction , which would be necesto the production of tetanus under such circumses . —Dr . Todd , of King ' s College Hospital , agreed what Mr . Curling had stated , and asserted that ilis or its consequences could not produce tetanus , spsy might produce tetanic symptoms , but not us ; and the . same with apoplex } -, if there were ; on of blood on the brain . He believed that Mr . e > rdotvth yraa firpm tetanus caused by strycnnine . ~ e evidence of Sir Benjamin - Brodie was . singularly

      latic . After giving some scientific details , he obd : — " I do not believe that death in the case of 2 ooke arose from , what we ordinarily call tetanusr idiopathic or traumatic . I never knew tetanus b from sore throat , or from a chancre , or from > ther form' of syphilitic disease . The symptoms not the result either of apoplexy or of epilepsy , ips I had better Bay at once that I never saw a case lich the symptoms that I have heard described arose from any disease . ( Sensation . ) When I aay of course I refer , not to particular symptoms , but ie general course which the symptoms took . " In : ourae of cross-ex ' amination , he said : —" I never syphilitic poison produce tetanic convulsions , exin cases where there was disease of the bones of the

      it . Daniels , of Bristol ; Mr . Solly , of St . Thomas ' s ital ; and Mr . Henry Lees , surgeon to the King ' s ge Hospital and the Lock Hospital , gave testimony a same effect as the foregoing . Dr . Corbell , Dr . on , Dr . Patterson , and Mary Kelly , of Glasgow , ed the circumstances attending the death of a pain the Infirmary in that city , who took some anino pills in mistake . The symptoms were simithose in the case of Mr . Cooke . Details of a case a eame nature occurring at Basingstoke were then by other witnesses . In this case , death resulted of death

      three , grains of atrychnino . A third case strychnine was brought forward in the evidence of Fane Withan > , who narrated tho circumstances atig the last illness of " a lad } -, " whose name , Lord bell observed , need not be statod , but who was oby Mrs- Dove , of Leeds . It will bo recollected that usband is now awaiting his trial on a charge of g murdered his wife . The symptoms in this case rere like those preceding tho decease of Mr . Cooke . iforley , who made the post-mortem examination , ted atrychnino from the body ; and he now gavo ico to that effect .

      Moore , a surgeon , then related that ho had given , 1 years ago , a draught containing a grain of mine to a patient of his ; that in rather less than quarters of an hour the patient was seized with iog of the limbs , and that ho screamed violently , tsgged hitf attendants to turn him over and rub ( This appears always to attend poisoning by mine ) . Ho recovered in about threo houra . or tho reception of this cvidoncc , the court

      adid till Monday . Sunday , tho jury , who since tho commencement \ trial have been almost completely isolated from st of their fellow creatures , witli tho exception of Icora of the court , attended divine service in the 1 of Newgate . It waa intended that they should in excuraion in the country ( in proper charge ) dinner j but tho state of tho weather , which was Ainy , provented thia arrangement , and they spent eater part of the day indoors .

      The trial was resumed at ten o ' clock on Monday morning . Palmer , when placed at the bar , exhibited a very anxious and careworn appearance . A chair was set for him , but he did not avail himself of the accomodation , and during the whole of the day remained standing and leaning on the front of the dock . Dr . Alfred Swaine Taylor , fellow of the College of Physicians , was then examined , and entered into very elaborate particulars with respect to the operation of strychnine on animal life . He had made experiments on various quadrupeds , and had always found that the effect of the poison wa 3 to throw the animal into convulsions . Generally , it took about five or six minutes

      to operate . The spasms then come on ; the legs are stretched out , and the head and tail drawn back , so as to give the body the appearance of a bow ; and the slightest noise or touch brings on the convulsions again , if they should for a time have ceased . There is sometimes a scream or shriek , as if the animal were in severe pain ; but it would appear as if there were some remission of pain before death . Immediately after death , the body is generally rigid . In opening the bodies of animals thus destroyed , he had never discovered any injury to the stomach or the intestines . " In one or two cases , " added Dr . Taylor , " I have found congestion of the vessels of the membranes of the spinal cord and brain more than would be accounted for by the gravitation of the blood ; in others I have not found the spinal cord in any way affected . I ascribe the congestion to the succession of fits the animal has had before death . In a majority of instances , I have failed to discover an }' abnormal condition of the brain and spinal cord . All that I have observed about the heart in such cases is , that it has been congested , and the right side especially . 1 have not had much experience of cases of tetanus in the human subject . I saw one on Thursday the 8 th inst ., in St . Thomas's Hospital . The patient recovered . I agree with the other medical gentlemen who have been examined that the symptoms of Mr . Cooke were similar to those in the case of strychnine poisoning , and to those I observed in all the animals to whom I have administered that poison . " Strychnine ctfuld be extracted from the stomach by chemical analysis ; but be

      thought this could only be done when there is an excess of what is required to destroy life . If a minimum dose for that purpose were administered , the whole would be absorbed and have its effect , and none woul&ie discovered in the body . There life no processes for ascertaining the existence of strychnine in the tissues of the body . Half a grain of strychnine has destroyed life . " After the post mortem examination of the deceased , " proceeded Dr . Taylor , " a portion of the contents of the stomach was delivered to me in a brown stone jar by Mr . Boycott . It was fastened down , covered with a bladder , and tied and sealed .

      The jar contained the stomach and intestines of John Parsons Cooke . I experimented upon the contents of the jar to discover if they contained any poison . We sought for various poisons—prussic acid , oxalic acid , morphia , strychnine , venetia , oil of tobacco , arsenic , mercury , and other mineral poisons . We only found small traces of antimony . The circumstances under which the tests for the discovery of poison were made were the most unfavourable that could possibly be . The stomach had been cut from end to end ; all the contents were gone , and the fine mucous surface , on which any poison , if present , would be found , was lying in contact with the outside of the intestines , and all thrown together . There was also feculent matter on the surface of the mucous membrane . This was owing to the fuult or misfortune of the person who had made the dissection . If any poison existed , I should have expected to find it in thecontents of the stomach and in the mucous membrane . At my request other portions of the body were- sent up to mo—the liver , the spleen , and the two kidneys , and a small bottle of blood to be taken indiscriminately from any part of the body . We analyzed all these portions of the body . We searched the liver and kidney for mineral poison , and discovered antimony in one-eighth part of the liver , also in the kidney and in the spleen . They all yielded antimony , but there was less in proportion in the spleen . The blood also yielded antimony . I cannot form an opinion how shortly before death the antimony had been administered . Antimony is usually given in the form of nn emetic . It acts aa an irritant to the stomach , and produces vomiting ; and , if given in excess , it would find its way from the stomach to the Hj'stem . If its adminititration were continued until it produced certain symptoms , it would undoubtedly destroy life . I hoard tho account given by tho female servant of the frequent vomitings of the deceased , and also of his vomiting at Shrewsbury , nnd tho account given of his symptoms by Dr . Jones . Vomiting of such a description would bo very likely to produce the symptoms I have alluded to . "

      portion might pass from the stomach , and some might have been absorbed in the system . I think I was quite justified iu coming to the conclusion that antimony was the cause of death . " Dr . Taylor was rather sharply cross-examined with reference to certain communications he- had made to some newspapers . He said , with respect to a letter he had written to the Lancet , that his evidence before the coroner had been misrepresented by the prisonerV solicitor , and that he felt compelled to contradict the statements that had been made . He swore positively that he did not sanction the publication of his portrait in an illustrated newspaper . He considered it was a caricature . ( Mr . Serjeant Shee observed that he thought' it very like—a remark which caused some laughter . ) Mr . Henry Mayhew , of the Illustrated Times , called , upon him with a letter of introduction from Professor

      Faraday , and obtained from him certain particulars with reference to the analyses . he had made , w-iich were published in the journal in question under the head of " Our Interview , with Dr . Taylor . " When he gave those particulars , he did hot , know . , they were for publication ; indeed , he was told Mr . Mayhew had called simply with reference to a Life Insurance Office ; but he called again on a subsequent day with the proof of the article which was to appear in the paper , and everything relating to the Rugeley cases was struck out by him ( Dr . Taylor ) . Some things , however , appeared which he did not authorize , and he wrote to the proprietor of the journal , complaining of what had -been done . He was of opinion that a very gross deception and cheat had been practised on him , and that it was most dishonourable and disgraceful . He would not swear that , to the best of his judgment and belief , he did not see the proof slip headed " Our Interview with Dr .

      Taylor ; " but he thought he did not . Those portions not relating to the Rugeley case he allowed to pass , though he remarked , " I do not like this mode of putting the matter . I cannot , however , interfere with what you put into your journal . " The reason that he suggested questions at the coroner ' s inquest , was , that the coroner did not put any questions that would enable him to form , an opinion . He thought that this was owing , not to unwillingness , but to ignorance of the points that were necessary , to be inquired into . The coroner did not . take down a good many of the answers that were given , , bpt be ( Dr . Taylor ) did not complain , as lie had obtained , . tie information he required to enable him to form fin opinion . Some laughter was caused in the cross-exanjination of Dr . Taylor by his saying that he thought , a rabbit a very fair animal to experiment on , and tha t ^ e was not inclined to try poison on dogs and cats , beciulse they are dangerous . From what he had seen of them , he -was " not disposed to go on . "

      Dr . Rees , lecturer on materia medica at Guy ' s Hospital , who assisted Dr . Taylor in making the analyses and experiments , supported the testimony of the preceding witness . Professor Brande , of the Royal Institution , who also assisted at the investigations , and Professor Christison , of the University of Edinburgh , gaye evidence with respect to several matters of medical science bearing on the question . Tho court then adjourned . Further medical testimony to the same effect yr . B , s given , on the reassembling of the court on Tuesday , by Mr . John Jackson , of the College of Physicians . Dr . Bamford afterwards deposed to the circumstances connected with his attendance on Mr . Cooke ; but his statements were merely confirmatory of the opening narrative of the Attorney-General . Mr . Burgin , chief Superintendent of Police at Stafford ; Mr . Henry Augustus Deane , solicitor , who attended tho inquest on Mrs ., Ann Palmer on the part of the Crown and tho Insurance

      Companies ; Mr . Espin , solicitor to Mr . Padwick ; Mr . Thomas Pratt , Palmer ' a ordinary solicitor ; Mr . Stevens , Cooke ' s father-in-law ; Mr . Strawbridge , of the Rugeley bank ; William Cheshire , clerk at the National Provlrtcial Bank , Rugeley ; John Armahaw , attorney at Rugeley ; John Wallby , butcher at the same place ( from whom Palmer borrowed some money , which 1 he afterwards repaid ); John Spillbury , farmer , near Stafford ( who had had dealings with Palmer ); nnd Herbert Wright , solicitor at Birmingham , gave evidence with roHpect to Palmer ' s money liabilities and the various bills which were out against him . Tho facts havft already been detailed in tho speech for tho prosecution . Tho bills which Pratt discounted for Palmer bore ( with only two exceptions ) tho enormous interest of sixty per cent . At tho close of this evidence , the court adjourned . Palmer waa on this < luy observed to look fatigued and dispirited . One or two artists were in court , sketching the prisoner ' s portrait , and taking views of the place .

      In cross-examination , Dr . Taylor said , " After tho post-mortem examination , I wrote u letter to Mr . Stevens ( father-in-law to Mr . Cooke ) , in which I stated that wo could not discover nnj- trace of strychnine or any other poison , but that wo had discovered antimony , and we inferred from all tho circumstances that it might have been tho cause of death . Although there waa not sufficient antimony found to destroy life , it did not follow that thio waa all Mr . Cooko l » ad taken . Some of tho antimony might have been lost by vomiting , another

      On Wednesday ( tho seventh day ) , tho court was even more crowded than on tho preceding occasions , owing to the Attorney-Gencrul having intimated , on tho previous evening , that he had very nearly closed the case for tho prosecution , and to tho consequent anticipation of the speech for the defence . A fierce ruah was made for plnces , and before ten o ' clock hundreds of persons were sent away for whom no accommodation could bo found . Several noblemen and members of Parliament wore present . Pulincr did not secin bo fatigued n » on the previous day . Tho remainder 'of the evidence for the prosecution was then taken . Mr . Charlea Wetherby ,

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      M * g ~ 24 r , 1856 . ] THE LEIDEB . 485

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      TRIAL OF WILLIAM PALMER . —*—

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), May 24, 1856, page 485, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2142/page/5/