Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
or two cases of traumatic tetanus have been adduced in evidence on the
part of the defence. We had the case of a man who was brought to the
London Hospital in the evening, and who died the same night. Yes, but
what were the facts of that case? The facts are that he had had before
he was brought in repeated paroxysms; that he felt premonitory symptoms
early in the morning; he was suffering from ulcers of a most aggravated
description; and that the symptoms had run their course, rapidly it is
true, but still the disease was not a matter of minutes, but a matter of
hours. There is no other case that I am aware of. There is the case of
the boy who was brought in, if it be necessary to allude to it. But
there again we have the disease existing for some time before it ends
in death. It is a matter there again of hours, and not of minutes, and
not a single paroxysm like this was observed. But it is then suggested
that this may have been a case of idiopathic tetanus. Idiopathic tetanus
proceeding from what? They say that Mr. Cook was a man of delicate
constitution--subject to excitement--that he had something the matter
with his chest--that in addition to having something the matter with his
chest, he had this diseased condition of the throat--and, putting all
these things together, they say that the man, if he took cold, might get
idiopathic tetanus. We are launched into a sea of speculation and of
possibilities. Mr. Nunneley, who comes forward here for the purpose of
inducing you to believe that there was anything like idiopathic tetanus,
goes through a bead-roll of the supposed infirmities of Mr. Cook and
talks about his excitability--talks about his delicacy of chest--talks
about the affection of his throat--goes through those various heads, and
says that those things may have predisposed him to idiopathic tetanus if
he took cold. What evidence is there that he ever did take cold? Not the
slightest in the world. The man, from the beginning to the end of the
symptoms, was never treated for cold by anybody, or ever complained that
he had taken cold. I cannot help saying, to me it seems that it is a
scandal upon a learned, a distinguished, and a liberal profession, that
men should come forward and put forward such speculations as these,
perverting the facts, and drawing from them sophistical and unwarranted
conclusions with the view of deceiving a jury. I have the greatest
respect for science--no man can have more; but I cannot repress my
indignation and abhorrence when I see it thus perverted and prostituted
to the purposes of a particular cause in a Court of justice. Do not talk
to me about excitement, as Mr. Nunneley did the other day, being the
occasion of idiopathic tetanus. You remember the sorts of excitement he
spoke of. They are unworthy of your notice, and they were topics
discreditable to be put forward by a witness as worthy of the attention
of sensible men constituting such a tribunal as you are.
[Sidenote: Attorney-General]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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