Volume 2

Remarks on a late publication, entitled "A vindication of the opinions delivered in evidence by the medical witnesses for the Crown [i.e. James Gerard, etc.] on a late trial at Lancaster" / [James Carson].

  • Carson, James, 1772-1843
Date:
1808
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on a late publication, entitled "A vindication of the opinions delivered in evidence by the medical witnesses for the Crown [i.e. James Gerard, etc.] on a late trial at Lancaster" / [James Carson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    nor did [ attend the inquest of the Coroner: Whatever, therefore, is not contained in the pub- lished Trial, must be thrown completely out: of the question. The gentlemen had an opportunity of correcting their evidence ; the trial, therefore, may. be supposed to convey a fair statement of the appearances and symptoms, and of their deduc- tions from them. In an affair of this nature, avery slight’ variation in the statement of facts might produce a very material change in the deductions, It seems not alittle. surprising that gentlemen should be carried, by a zeal for their own defence, so far as to contradict, publicly, the solemn assev- erations of an oath. For, if they concealed any thing that was important, ‘are they not asiculpable as if they: had added what‘ never existed? The whole history of the symptoms, ‘and the singular important additions to the appearances’ on dissec- tion, made for the’first time at this distant period, are wholly to be put out of view. Whether the account they have delivered now, or the statement they delivered at Lancaster, be true, is nothing to me.’ My evidence ‘could only apply to the latter, by which alone my inferences are to be examined: The following is'a concise account of the symp- toms’ of Miss Burns’s. complaints, so far’ as: they can be ascertained by the only witnesses, the ‘cook