Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
Supposing the spine to be affected by decomposition, would not what may
be called the diseased softening of the spine previous to death be
confused or obliterated?--You would not be able to speak with certainty
as to simple softening if the examination had been long after death.
There is nothing in the post-mortem examination on which any one could
positively say that the patient died from the ordinary disease of
tetanus. I think granules on the spinal cord, such as I have heard of
here, are not likely to cause tetanus. In the cases of the animals to
whom strychnia was administered they went off into a second spasm
immediately they were touched. They retained that tendency as long as
the influence of the poison lasted. I examined the animals that were
killed by strychnia anatomically. The right side of the heart was not
generally full; it was empty, and the heart contracted. Death where
strychnine was administered is partly due to the difficulty of action of
the respiratory muscles, but chiefly to a general nervous exhaustion
which the violence of the paroxysm produces.
Would not the difficulty of action of the respiratory muscles producing
death tend to leave the heart full?--I do not think it was asphyxia.
[Sidenote: Robert Todd]
Then I think I may take you as differing from the great mass of
authorities on strychnia poisoning?--I don’t know; I think there are
differences of opinion on that subject. Persons sometimes have
convulsions after poison by morphia. The time in which convulsive
symptoms come on after morphia would depend on the dose entirely. I
cannot say whether it would be later than strychnia. It is not a
question I have devoted attention to.
Re-examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL--In death resulting from tetanus I
should not expect to find anything peculiar about the heart. I heard the
evidence of the gentlemen who examined the spinal cord after Mr. Cook’s
death. From their description it appeared to me that those parts were in
such a condition that any indication of disease might have been
discovered.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Sir B. Brodie]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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