Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith].

  • John Jay Smith
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Celebrated trials of all countries, and remarkable cases of criminal jurisprudence / Selected by a member of the Philadelphia bar [i.e. J.J. Smith]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    143/612 (page 133)
    getting into the cavity of the belly, the bowels in the lower belly seemed to put on an appearance of inflammation. I choose to make use of the vulgar term appearance, in order to convey a general idea of the appearance things in that state generally put on. Q. Was it so with the stomach too ? A. Yes; the orifices of the stomach, and the small arch of the stomach; the heart, upon opening the pericardium, the membrane which encloses it, appeared to be in a natural state; the lungs appeared what I call suffused with blood, looking red, and spotted in many places with black specks, and on the back part the blood had settled in a deep red colour, almost approaching to purple; the diaphragm was in the same state; and, in general, upon the depending surfaces of the body the blood was settled in the like manner; the kidneys appeared black as tinder, and the liver much in the same state. These, I think, are most of the appearances I need mention upon the present occasion. Q. Have you heard the evidence of Mr. Powell, the apothecary 1 A. 1 have. Q. And have you heard the evidence of lady Boughton ? A. I have. Q. Now, from the evidence of Mr. Powell and the evidence of lady Bough- ton, independent of appearances, for I would have you forget them for the present instant, what was, in your judgment, the occasion of sir Theodosins Boughton's death 1 A. Independent of the appearance of the body, I am of the opinion that the draught, in consequence of the symptoms which suc- ceeded the swallowing of it, as described by lady Boughton, was poison, and the immediate cause of his death. Q. Please to smell upon that bottle; what, in your judgment, is the noxious medicine in that bottle] A. I know the liquid ; it is a distillation of laurel leaves, commonly called laurel water. Q. You have heard Mr. Powell's account of the mixture he prepared for sir Theodosius Boughton ; was that mixture innocent and proper 1 A. In my opinion, it was perfectly innocent. Q. You have said that, in your judgment, laurel water is contained in this bottle? A. Yes. Q. Have you made any particular experiments upon the effects of laurel water 1 A. I have, several. Q. You will please to relate the particular experiments you have made, and the appearances in consequence of those experiments. A. Mr. Wilmer and I made experiments together : our first experiment with laurel water was upon a middle-sized dog; I held his mouth open, and there was, I be- lieve, nearly two ounces of laurel water poured down his throat; I held the dog between my knees; in half a minute, as nearly as I can guess, he dropped dead to the ground, without any motion except a tremulous motion once or twice of the lower jaw. The next animal on which I tried the laurel water was, likewise in company with Mr. Wilmer, to an aged mare; we gave, at repeated intervals, out of a horn, I believe, about a pint and a half of laurel water; in about two minutes she was precipitated to the ground with her head under her, and tumbled on her back, kicking violently; she afterwards lay without kicking, but seemed convulsed, her eyes rolling about, rearing up her head as if in agonies, gulping at her stomach as if something lay there exceedingly offensive to her, and that instant, and during the whole time she lived afterwards, heaving in the flanks in the most ex- traordinary manner; and at the end of fifteen minutes she expired. After this, in company with Mr. Ewbank, of Coventry, I gave to a cat about a spoonful of laurel water, which I had myself seen distilled; it was pale and limpid as pure distilled waters, and seemed very weak. The cat, though I believe she had not half the quantity I intended she should have taken, died in three minutes. Q. What quantity did you pour down the cat's throat? A. About a spoonful, about half an ounce. At Southam, the beginning of this week, I M