The claims of forensic medicine : being the introductory lecture delivered in the University of London, on Monday, May 11, 1829 / by John Gordon Smith.
- John Gordon Smith
- Date:
- 1829
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The claims of forensic medicine : being the introductory lecture delivered in the University of London, on Monday, May 11, 1829 / by John Gordon Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.
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![Hi (these were the words)—had been attempted, in consequence whereof she died. This document had the advantage of being read in open court by the writer himself; and being present, I had the felicity of inspecting the original. Of its literary pretensions I shall say nothing; but such medical nonsense could only be paralleled by the other statement, upon which the merits of the case first mentioned hinged. The question of the savine and the rue was very speedily disposed of by the admission of this witness, that he had not been able to identify them ; and we all know that if any effect is to be relied upon, they must be given in large quantities; while even then the primary effect will not be that of pro- ducing abortion. The affair was thus left to hang upon the ' dreadful operation' The performance of this was inferred in a most curious manner, which I hope I shall be able to make you all understand. Although the witness admitted that he had drawn his conclusions more from *■ what he had heard than what he had seen' on the occasion, his observa- tions ought not to escape exposure. They were recorded both negatively and positively; for he stated that ' he examined most particularly, and could not discover any catheter or instrument to draw off the water had been passed or previously introduced.' Here is an in- ference indeed—much such a one as would be made by a man, who, after looking f most particularly' over London bridge, would say that he could not discover [that] < any wherry or other boat had passed through the centre arch, three or four days before: But on one side of the womb there were indentations as if made by a blunt instrument in the first instance; and on the other there were 'five distinct punctures, made by a sharp instrument! Notwithstanding all this, however, there had been no ABORTION, the uterus having been found with its entire peculiar contents, as would be the case at the stage of pregnancy to which the unfortu- nate woman had advanced. Now, let me appeal to every medical man here or else- where, whether if abortion be undertaken to be procured by](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2146327x_0018.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
