460 DEATH OF LORD GEORGE BENTINCK. 



the body, and am of opinion that he died of spasm 

 of the heart. There was very little food in his 

 stomach, but there was no morbid appearance 

 beyond congestion, which prevailed over the whole 

 system. There was emphysema of the lungs, and 

 old adhesions from former diseases. The heart was 

 large and muscular, and covered with fat. It con- 

 tained no blood, and bore the appearance of irreg- 

 ular contraction.' 



" A juror inquired as to the state of the brain. 



''Mr Ward. ' It was perfectly healthy, with the 

 exception of a little venous congestion in about the 

 same ratio as the other organs.' 



" Another juror asked if Mr Ward supposed the 

 blood found on his Lordship's face and on the 

 grass to have been produced by the rupture of a 

 blood-vessel in the head. Mr Ward said ' No ; ' 

 his opinion being that blood flowed from the 

 nose in consequence of the deceased falling on 

 his face. 



" The jury immediately returned a verdict of, 

 ' Died by the visitation of God — to wit, by a spasm 

 of the heart.' " 



Such is the cold and simple record of the official 

 chronicler. Mr Disraeli adds that the attack, sup- 

 posed to be spasm of the heart, was not instan- 

 taneous in its effects, and with proper remedies 

 might have been baffled. He says, " Terrible to 

 think of him in his death-struggle, and so near a 



