The Parkman murder : trial of Prof. John W. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, November 23, 1849 : before the Supreme Judicial Court, in the City of Boston with numerious accurate illustrations.
- John White Webster
- Date:
- 1850
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The Parkman murder : trial of Prof. John W. Webster, for the murder of Dr. George Parkman, November 23, 1849 : before the Supreme Judicial Court, in the City of Boston with numerious accurate illustrations. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.
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![The nitrate of copper will remain a fluid for a long time, from its attraction of moisture. The taste of tliis article is very stringent, of a coppery character. I was requested by the government to examhie the effect of nitrate of copper upon the human blood. I referred the matter to Dr. Wyman, for microscopic examination. 1 was present on Sunday wlien the pantaloons were found which had the appearance of blood upon them; from these and from a pair of slippers pieces were cut off' by Dr. Wyman for microscopic examination. The micro- scope is the best test of human blood. Sundry jiie- ces of copper were found in the ash-pit which had nitrate of copper upon them. These pieces which Dr. Jackson had in his possession were now exhibi- ted to the Jury. In handing them round, he said the nitrate of copper was still adhering to them.— The pearl shirt button found in the fumance was given to Dr. Gay, but had not been examined by me since. The quantity of gold found in the furnace weighed in all 173 grains, sixty-five hundreths. On being shown several teeth, believes the gold in them is like the gold in the furnace. The value of the gold found was six dollars ninety-four cents. Saw some of the gold taken from the furnace; appearan- ces indicated heat of a high temperature. Have known the defendant for some time, and been asso- ciated with him in chemical experiments. Have seen a knife now exhibited before; think I have seen it in the laboratory of Dr. Webster at the old Medical College in Mason street. The College was removed in 1846. The knife was shown me at the Medical College ia Grove street; found on it a little oil and whiting, apparently put on for cleaning it. It was scraiied off and I carried it home, but did not prove to be of any consequence. The whit- ing was jiot then dry, was about as soft as putty. I did fiot take much notice of the handle of the knife. I have noticed the height of Dr Parkman; it was about that of my own, which is some .5 feet 11 inches. On the supposition that flesh had been con- sumed in the furnace mentioned, the draught, which vas strong, would have been sufficient to carry ofl the order. I did not extract from the cinders all of the gold which was contained in them—only the coarse portions. There was about a half a peck of eshes, and two quarts of cinders and coal. Cross examined by Mr Sohjer. I ascertained my- self tliBt the fluid on the wall was the nitrate of copper. Should not have supposed the remains foimd, from the appearance alone, to be those of Dr Parkman. The hair found on the remains was singed, having the peculiar appearance of the acting of potash. • On the left side of the thorax,hack, and the two ends was found potash. Should think cut up in small pieces, in a suitable vessel, nitric acid would dissolve a body, bones and all, in half a day. The boiler I saw, had nothing in it. The green fluid found on the wall might have been there two weeks. The white substauce found on the knife, I supposed v^as whiting used far cleaning the same. The coal used in the furnace was anthracite. I saw part of the gold taken from tlie ashes. The parts of the thor.ax examined, did not apiiear to have been ■ loug subjected to the potash. A few minutes, by the action of the potash and fire, would have produced the appearance exhibited. The time could not be ascertained, exactly. The green spots were taken rom the sides of the stairs. By the Government. Trying the experiment of nitrate of copper upon a piece of the pine, shows the same brown stain found on the stairs. This piece of pine was exhibited in Court. Pieces of charcoal were found in the ashes of the furnace. RICHARD CROS&LY called and sworn. I am a practical chemist, an assistant in the Laboratory of Dr. Chas. T. Jackson; have made that a business for several years. Have made some experiments upon the blood vessels which v^ere in the possession of Dr. Gay. The usual injections in such vessels in subjects for dissection are arsenic acid and chloride *f zinc. On examination of these blood vessels did Ot detect either of these solutions. Dr. NATHAN C. KEEP called and sworn. I am a surgeon dentist; have been in practice as such near thirty years. I am a neighbor of Dr. Lewis. Have had occasion to pay attention to both natural and artificial teeth. Knew Dr. Geo. Parkman, first when a student with Dr. Randall. As early as in 182-7, was employed as a family dentist by him, and have continued to act in that capacity. I have been shown a block of mineral teeih. Recognized the teeth shown me, as some made by me for Dr. Park- man in 1846. The teeth now shown to me are the same; am able to recognize them from the peculiar , ity of Dr. Parkman's mouth, in the relation of the upper and lower jaw. The impression left upon my mind on first examining it is very distinct; I re member the peculiarities with great exactness. He first asked me how long it would take to make these teeth. On letting him know how long, 1 asked him why he wished to know. He said the Medical Col- lege was to be opened in a few days from the time, when he expected to be called upon to speak. He did not wish to order them unless he could have them at the time. He wished them to be made with as much skill as could be used. I began upon them immediately. Gave much time to the subject. Saw him frequently while it was in progress, and / from these circumstances am enabled to remember the matter more distinctly than otherwise. The first step in the business was to take a fac simile of each jaw. This was done by the use of wax.— [The plaster cast of the lower jaw of Dr. Parkman was here exhibited by Dr. Keep.] There were at the time four natural teeth, and three roots or stumps of teeth. [Dr. Keep here stated with great minuteness the method of taking the cast, of making the brock of teeth, and exhibited the metallic plate, or die, which was put uito the mouth of Dr. Parkman to ascertain whether it was exact or not before making the teeth. The pattern plate of the upper jaw was also exhibited.] The two casts now before me, show both the two jaws separately, and the jaws in their relative position. The great irregularity of the lower jaw required a peculiar arrangement to make the'teeth fit with ex- actness. In this case of Dr. Parkman, the upper teeth were in three blocks. The lower teeth were also in three blocks, but not made whole in conse- quence of the natural teeth which remained. The largest block was on the back of the left side of the jaw, the next largest was on the opposite side. As injury to one of the teeth required me to labor most of the time on the night before the Medical College was opened. The teeth were finally finished 30 minutes before the time for the opening of the Coli- lege. I At five minutes before 12 o'clock, it being an- nounced thaS a fire was discovered which endanger- ed the room of Ihe Attorney General, at the Tre. mont Temple, to enable that gentleman to look af ter his papers and baggage, an intermission took place for some twenty-five minutes.] When 1 next saw the Doctor, he said he had not room for his tongue. To obviate that difliculty, I ground the side of the lower jaw next the tongue, to give more room. The grinding at the time was not acGomphshed with much ease. This grinding re- moved the pink color of the plate, a portion of the enamel, and injured the beauty of the teeth. Being ground on a very small wheel, the shape was pecu- liar. I saw Dr. Parkman occasionally after that, in relation to his teeth. About two weeks before bis disappearance he called on me, having broken a spring to. his teeth. This was about 10 o'clock at night. I had retired early, from being unwell. To attend to him, I arose and examined his teeth thor- oughly, and mended the spring. This was my last piofessjonal intercourse with hsm. The day before his disappearance he called on me between 1 and 2 o'clock, to make inquiries concerning a servant wha had lived with me. I went to Longmeadow to pass Thanksgiving, and returned on tha Um'iny foUca-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21083617_0022.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
