Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
Then, gentlemen, with regard to the length of time that occurred between
the alleged administration of the strychnia and the time that the
symptoms appeared, the evidence seems to me to lead to this conclusion,
that, where it is administered to animals with a view of making
experiments and with a view of observing its operations as quickly as
possible, it generally operates more rapidly than in the human frame
when it is put in the shape of pills, and that will depend upon the
manner in which those pills are compounded, and likewise on the state of
the health and body of the person to whom they are to be administered,
and whether there may or may not have been any previous tampering with
the health of that person. Instances are referred to where, even in the
human body, a greater space of time has elapsed than in this case
between the administration of the poison and the symptoms which were
exhibited.
Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--I think that is not so upon the evidence, my lord.
[Sidenote: Lord Campbell]
LORD CAMPBELL--There are instances referred to in which it has been
detected; there have been instances referred to in the course of this
trial in which there has been as long an interval.
Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--I believe that is a mistake.
LORD CAMPBELL--With regard to there being no blood in the heart, which
seems to have been relied upon, it appears that the result is this, that
if the death is produced by an obstruction of the respiratory organs,
producing asphyxia, the blood is found in the heart; but if it be
produced by a spasm upon the heart itself, the heart contracts, the
blood is expelled, and no blood is found after death. Now, taking the
evidence before us, there are two instances where that took place.
Then, gentlemen, we have to look to the evidence as it implicates the
prisoner at the bar. You must consider the evidence to show that he must
have tampered with the health of the deceased, by administering
something to him in the brandy and water, in the broth, and in the other
things which were administered to him at Rugeley. One part of the broth
was taken by Elizabeth Mills, as she swears, and the consequence which
followed, according to her evidence and the evidence of Lavinia Barnes,
was that she was taken ill with a vomiting in the stomach as Cook the
deceased had been.
Then, gentlemen, you have antimony found in the body of the deceased;
antimony, which would show that tartar emetic, producing vomiting, had
been administered, and it seems to be clearly proved that that substance
was found in his body, from what source you are to say from the evidence
before you.
[Sidenote: Lord Campbell]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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