A manual of medical jurisprudence, and state medicine : compiled from the latest legal and medical works, of Beck, Paris, Christison, Fodere, Orfila, etc. ... intended for the use of legislators, barristers, magistrates, coroners, private gentlemen, jurors, and medical practitioners / by Michael Ryan.
- Michael Ryan
- Date:
- 1836
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A manual of medical jurisprudence, and state medicine : compiled from the latest legal and medical works, of Beck, Paris, Christison, Fodere, Orfila, etc. ... intended for the use of legislators, barristers, magistrates, coroners, private gentlemen, jurors, and medical practitioners / by Michael Ryan. 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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![It M^as supposed, even in this country, that the agitation of a murderer, on seeing his victim, was sufficient to prove his guilt; and, in some cases, he was obliged to place his hand on the dead body. It is also a popular opinion, that the coun- tenance of a murdered corpse will change when gazed on by the murderer, or any of his near relatives. The following extraordinary cases are noticed by Dr. Beck, from Hargrave's State Trials, vol. x. Appen. p. 29—reign of Charles II.:— An ancient and grave person, minister to the parish were the fact was coymnitted, being sworn to give evidence, according to custom, deposed,' that the body being taken up out of the grave, thirty days after the party's death, and lying on the grass, and the four defendants being present, were required each of them to touch the dead body. Okeman's wife fell upon her knees, and prayed God to show tokens of her innocency. The appellant did touch the dead body, whereupon the brow of the dead, which before was of a livid and carrion colour (in terminis, the verbal expression of the witness J, began to have a dew, or gentle sweat arise on it, which increased by degrees, till the sweat ran down in drops on tlie face; the brow turned to a lively and fresh colour; and the deceased opened one of her eyes, and shut it again; and this opening of the eye was done three several times. She likewise thrust out the ring or marriage finger three times, and pulled it in again, and the finger dropped blood from it on the grass.' Sir Nicholas Hyde, chief-justice, seeming to doubt the evidence, asked the witness. Who saw this besides you ?—Witness. I cannot swear what others saw. But, my Lord (said he), I do believe the whole company saw it, and if it had been thought a doubt, proof would have been made of it, and many would have attested with me. Then the witness, observing some admi- ration in the auditors, spake further, ' My Lord, I; am minis- ter of the parish, and have long known all the parties, but never had occasion of displeasure against any of them, nor had to do with them, or they with me; but as I was min- ister, the thing was wonderful to me. But I have no interest in the matter, but as called upon to testify the truth; and this I have done.' [This witness was a very reverend person, as I guessed, of about seventy years of age. His testimony was delivered gravely and temperately, to the great admira- tion of the auditory.] Whereupon, applying himself to the chief-justice, he said, ' My Lord, my brother here present, is minister of the next parish adjacent, and I am sure saw all done that I have affirmed.' Therefore, that person was also sworn to give evidence, and did depose in every point—' the sweating of the brow, the change of the colour, thrice opening the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21075864_0025.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
