TRIAL OF DR. PRITCHARD. 
79 
from the commencement of the illness in December. From the evidence given and toe 
symptoms described, he was unable to suggest any other cause for the neat . e 
of no natural cause to which the death could be ascribed. Outward application of anti¬ 
mony for a sprain could not account for the death. He never saw anything ru ec on 
the skin producing any of the constitutional effects Oi antimony. . e ^? W *f C1 ' S mjf 
scribed by Dr. Paterson would account for the presence of mercury m the body. ±he 
history of the case as be had heard it in the evidence decidedly confirmed the conclusions 
in his report. There was nothing to indicate that Mrs. Pritchard had been labouring 
under fever of any kind. Being referred to his chemical report on Mrs ; iaylors case. 
Dr. Maclagan said he was inclined now to think there had been something more than 
antimony at the last. The symptoms exhibited by her might be produced by aconite. 
He thought Mrs. Taylor being found suddenly with her head falling, the breathing 
being hardly perceptible, the pulse almost if not altogether imperceptible, and the gene¬ 
rally torpid condition of the brain and the lowered state of the circulation were indica¬ 
tions such as would have resulted from aconite; but aconite, like most poisons, varied a 
little in the effects it produced on different individuals. But these were symptoms likely 
to have been produced by aconite. He agreed with Dr. Penny m describing the results 
of the experiments with Battlev’s solution. Antimony passed pretty rapidly out ot the 
system by vomiting and purging, weakening and ultimately destroying the patient. 
Opium mHht lessen the tendency to vomit, but a pernicious effect on the muscular 
tissue would remain. He had never known a patient under the influence of aconite and 
antimony at the same time ; but if opium, aconite, and antimony were administered so 
as to be operating at the same time, the symptoms which Mrs. Taylor had exhibited 
were such as he would have anticipated, because the aconite, being the most oowe_rtul, 
would predominate. There was nothing in her symptoms to indicate apoplexy. That 
idea was satisfactorily excluded in his judgment. _ . „ . 1T 
Cross-examined.—There were no traces of poisoning by opium m Mrs. lay lor. Her 
symptoms were not inconsistent with her having taken opium, but they did not indicate 
noisoning by opium. Aconite could not be detected by chymical analysis, and opium 
was another vegetable poison which was absorbed in the system. A person mig it e 
•poisoned by opium without any remains in the stomach or the system being detected by 
chymical analysis. Mineral poisons were more easily detected, and tne expectation was 
that if a person were poisoned by antimony it would be detected by cnemical analysis. 
The contraction of Mrs. Taylor’s eyes might arise from opium, but it was an nio.icatiou 
° f By°the 6 Court._If Dr. Penny’s estimate of the amount of aconite in the mixture were 
correct Mrs. Taylor might have taken 100 drops to produce the symptoms. A person 
accustomed to the use of Battley’s solution might take 100 drops quite well. 
Dr. Henrv D. Littlejohn assisted in the post mortem examination ot Mrs. 1lylor and 
Mrs. Pritcl ard, and concurred in the reports. He was of opinion that Mrs. Pritchards 
death was caused by antimony, administered in small qualities and continuously in Mrs. 
Tavlor’s case he had no difficulty in arriving at the opinion that she died trom poison, 
hut he had difficulty in determining the particular poison that killed her. He thought 
the symptoms were mixed in her case, to some extent like those oi narcotic poison, and 
to some extent like those of antimony. Antimony in large quantities would produce a 
burning sensation in the throat. It could be readily administered in a liquid or beat up 
in egg flip. It dissolves readily. Lump sugar, being porous, would easily take up a 
•sufficient quantity of antimony to cause vomiting. . 
In cross-examination, witness said he had made no special experiments to test this, but, 
from his knowledge of tartar emetic, he was entitled to make the statement he had done. 
It was impossible that opium alone could produce the symptoms exhibited by Mrs. 
^Dr^james Paterson, recalled, stated that the evidence he had heard had confirmed the 
conviction he held in regard to Mrs. Pritchard’s case. He was well acquainted with the 
symptoms of poisoning by antimony, and those of Mrs. Pritchard indicated chronic poison¬ 
ing by small and repeated doses. It was his decided impression that she was killed by 
chronic poising by antimony. He thought Mrs. Taylor might have died from opium, 
but there might be some other narcotic poison. He had made an experiment witn aco¬ 
nite, by applying it to his tongue. It produced a strong tingling sensation accompanied 
by numbness, which lasted at least four hours. He would never forget the taste while he 
