Remarks and comments on the medical and chemical evidence adduced at the trial of John Tawell / by G. L. Strauss.

  • Strauss, G.L.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks and comments on the medical and chemical evidence adduced at the trial of John Tawell / by G. L. Strauss. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    n> death. It would perhaps have been easy to come to a correct conclusion on this point, had the post-mortem examination been made by men of sterling science; however, as it is, the cause of death will probably remain shrouded in mystery. My conviction that prussic acid had nothing whatever to do with the poor woman’s death, is based chiejly and prin- cipally upon the absence of some of those symptoms which my own experience (limited as it is) has taught me to expect invariably in cases of poisoning by this acid ; and moreover upon the total and complete absence of any of the pathological alterations which I should invariably expect, at least in all cases where the acid has not destroyed life instantaneously, but after the lapse of a few minutes or so. In all cases of poisoning by prussic acid, without exception, the venous system is found gorged with very fluid blood of a dark violet or black tint; the liver is gorged with blood of black color ; the bile is in most cases of a deep blue color. The brain is in most cases overgorged with blood, which in many instances is found to have extravasated; the lungs are almost invariably gorged with blood of a deep violet or black color; the oesophagus, stomach, and intestines are generally in a state of greater or lesser inflammation, &c. &c. &c. Of all these indications of the action of prussic acid, we have none in this instance. How is it possible that any profes- sional man, possessed of the slightest knowledge of his art, can, in the face of these facts, come to the conclusion that the death of Sarah Hart is chargeable upon prussic acid ; simply because some prussic acid was obtained by distilling the con- tents of her stomach P Medical men, when called upon to give their evidence in cases of this description, ought to weigh and consider the awful responsibility devolving upon them,—they ought to bear in mind that on their ipse dixit may depend not only the life and honor of a fellow being, but perhaps also the future happiness or misery of all those connected with that fellow- being. They ought to inquire of themselves whether they