Cook, John Parsons, -1855; Palmer, William, 1824-1856 -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
Dr. ROBERT CORBETT, examined by Mr. JAMES--I am a physician in Glasgow.
I remember a patient of the name of Agnes Sennet who died in the Glasgow
Royal Infirmary on 29th September, 1845, after taking some strychnia
pills intended for another patient. I saw her while she was under the
influence of the poison. The symptoms I noticed were a retraction of the
mouth, face much suffused and red, the pupils dilated, the head bent
back, the spine curved, and the muscles rigid and hard like a board. She
died about an hour and a quarter after taking the pills. There would be
a quarter of a grain in each of the three pills she took.
Cross-examined by Mr. SERJEANT SHEE--The retraction of the angles of the
mouth was continuous, but it was worse at times. I did not observe it
after death. The hands were not clenched, but semi-bent after death.
That semi-bending of the hand is a very common thing in cases of death
by violent convulsions. Twenty minutes after taking the medicine she was
attacked by the symptoms.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Dr. Watson]
Dr. WATSON, examined by the ATTORNEY-GENERAL--I am one of the physicians
in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, and attended the case of Agnes Sennet
spoken to by the last witness. I saw her about a quarter of an hour
after the symptoms first began. She was in violent convulsions; her arms
were stretched out and rigid; her feet and legs were also rigid. Just at
that moment she did not breathe. That paroxysm subsided almost
immediately, and fresh ones came on after a very short interval. They
occurred at intervals until they destroyed her. She was about half an
hour in dying. She seemed perfectly conscious during the time. At the
post-mortem examination the spinal cord was quite healthy. The heart was
contracted.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: Mary Kelly]
MARY KELLY, examined by Mr. BODKIN--I was a patient in the Glasgow Royal
Infirmary, and saw Agnes Sennet take the pills, which were intended for
another patient. I saw her take two pills only. After taking the pills
she went and sat down by the fire, and in about three-quarters of an
hour she was taken ill. She fell back on the floor, and a nurse and I
lifted her into bed. The nurse cut her clothes off, and she never moved
after she was put upon the bed; she was just like a poker. She never
spoke after she fell.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: C. Hickson]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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