TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 129 
The author referred to the commonly accepted views in relation to the normal 
position of the epiglottis being considered wholly vertical or erect, and quoted 
Harrison, Knox, Bishop, Dunglison, Meckel, Cloquet, and even Czermak, in support 
thereof. Whilst admitting their correctness to a certain extent in the largest portion 
of mankind, he has discovered, in the course of his physiological investigations with 
the laryngoscope, that in eleven per cent. the epiglottis is not erect, but either 
oblique or nearly transverse, and that this condition is not necessarily associated 
with disease, occurs at all ages, and is occasionally congenital, being observed in 
parent and offspring. The ages of those examined varied from 6 to 90 years, 
The effect of this position of the epiglottis is an alteration in phonation, and 
much inconvenience and danger in the event of disease, as well as inducing a pre- 
disposition to take on diseased action. Speaking and singing are much ailected ; 
some cannot sing in consequence. The shape and condition of the valve named in 
the 300 persons examined were then described. 
The author summed up with the following conclusions :— 
1, Physiologically speaking, the epiglottis is vertical in the great majority of 
mankind ; in a certain proportion it is oblique or nearly transverse. 
2. The evils likely to arise from the latter at present appear to be so inconvenient, 
that it would be desirable that an inspection of the epiglottis should be made in 
every child, where practicable, between the ages of 6 and 10 years, for the purpose 
of ascertaining its correct position. 
3. If it is found to be not vertical, a knowledge of the fact will prove beneficial 
through life in guarding against evils likely to arise, during the prevalence of epi- 
demic sore-throat, or other diseases likely to involve the larynx. 
4, No interference with the throat or larynx should ever be permitted without 
the aid of laryngoscopic inspection. 
5. Whilst any imperfection in the voice or speech may be explained by the posi- 
tion of the epiglottis, independently of the vocal chords, a chance for the improyve- 
ment of both is held out, by adopting some means that shall render this valve 
more oblique in direction than transverse, or possibly (but at present very doubtful) 
restore it to a vertical position, 
On Secret Poisoning. By Groner Harter, M.D., Professor of Medical 
Jurisprudence in University College, London. 
The author stated that although he had no wish to engender groundless suspicions 
or excite unnecessary alarms, yet he was sorry to say he could not but repeat the 
statement he made last year in a paper on slow poisoning read before the Royal 
Medico-Chirurgical Society of London—namely, that he believed the cases of 
secret poisoning that are discovered form but a small percentage of those that 
actually occur. Nay, more, he even went a step further, and declared that he not 
only believed that we magnified the difficulty of perpetrating the crime, but that 
we were also inclined to exaggerate the facility of its detection. No doubt, modern 
discoveries in physiology and chemistry had enabled us not only to distinguish 
between the effects of poison and natural disease during life, but likewise to detect 
and extract the poison from the tissues after death. But modern discoveries had 
also made known to us many poisons with which we were hitherto unacquainted, 
It was in toxicology as in naval warfare, no sooner was a projectile discovered that 
is considered irresistible than our engineers set about discovering armour-plates 
more invulnerable than their predecessors. So, no sooner does the criminal tind a 
new poison that he can use with impunity, than the experts set about discovering 
a means for its detection, He remarked that the great desire of the poisoner was 
to get hold of a poison the effect of which would so closely resemble that of natural 
disease as to be mistaken for it, Fortunately, however, this was attended with 
extreme difficulty, as the effects of poison were generally sudden in their onset 
and rapid in their termination ; for the poisoner seldom had time or opportunity of 
administering the poisonous agent in so small a quantity and for such a length of 
time as are requisite to produce an artificial state of disease which may be mistaken, 
at least by the unaccomplished physician, for real disease. It had been asserted that 
in all cases of poisoning where death occurred, the poison ought to be found in the 
1862, 9 
