Summary of the General Evidence of Poisoning, in a Tabular Form ----------------------------------+---------------------------------- Poison. | Natural Causes. ----------------------------------+---------------------------------- 1. The symptoms come on suddenly,| 1. Many diseases come on and rapidly progress. | suddenly--cholera, gastritis, | &c--and run a rapid course to | a fatal termination. | 2. The symptoms begin while | 2. Some acute diseases begin the person is in sound health.| under like circumstances. | 3. The symptoms of poisoning | 3. This is also the case with go on from bad to worse in a | many common diseases. steady increase. | | 4. Uniformity in the nature of | 4. The uniformity of the symptoms the symptoms. | is common to many diseases; | but in some cases the absence | of uniformity may be a proof | of disease. | 5. The symptoms come on | 5. Apoplexy, colic, cholera, and immediately after a meal. | some other diseases may follow | a meal. But the fact that some | hours have elapsed since the | last meal is against the | probability of poisoning. | 6. Several persons are attacked, | 6. As a general principle it may after partaking of the same | be stated that there is no meal, with the same symptoms. | disease likely to attack | several persons at once, but | there are cases on record of | this having occurred. | 7. Poison found in the food, | 7. Poison may be mixed with food, vomited matters, urine, &c. | &c, in cases of imputed | poisoning. ----------------------------------+----------------------------------