160 CASES OF POISONING—ACCIDENTAL AND CRIMINAL. 
was brought me at the same time. This is it. I cut the pocket out, examined it, and 
found about a third of a grain of strychnia. I took out of one jar the whole of the 
viscera of a child, the stomach, and its contents. I found on opening it a fluid ounce of 
a thick fluid, pap and milk. It was analysed, and I discovered very distinct traces of 
strychnia. I examined the liver, and from a portion of the liver I extracted something 
which I know to be strychnia, by its bitter taste and its action on frogs. I have heard 
the evidence given by Drs. Lowe and Archer, and I believe the child’s death to have 
been caused by strychnia. I found quite enough in the stomach to found the oxidiza¬ 
tion test. I examined the brain and spinal cord, and found nothing there, I have 
heard Dr. Lowe’s evidence with respect to the secretion of strychnia by the mothei s 
milk It is quite possible that may be so, but the mother must be under the influence 
of strychnia to have such an effect. The bitterness of the strychnia would affect the 
milk. The time of action of the strychnia, depends on a great number of circumstances. 
It may be a few minutes, it may be two hours. # 
Cross-examined by Mr. O’Malley.—The portion discovered in the stomach is the por¬ 
tion unabsorbed, the absorption from the stomach into the circulation may or may 
not go on until death is produced. In the case of a child I should expect it would go 
on very quickly. After it had received a full killing dose, I should think half an hour 
more likely. Six hours would be the extreme limit. There was milk in the child s 
stomach. After evaporation and application of peroxide of manganese, I obtained the 
red and the violet colours which are the characteristics of strychnia. . There is no othei 
substance that would produce that colour by that test. My opinion is, that in cases o 
poisoning by strychnia we should find it in the stomach. My opinion still is, that we 
ought to find it in the stomach. I remember reading a report of a case in the ‘Lancet, 
by Dr. Harley, that the mother did communicate nux vomica, through her milk to her 
child, by whom symptoms of poisoning by nux vomica, were shown, and that after the 
discontinuance of the medicine, in which the nux vomica was contained, the symptoms 
CGftSGd 
Dr Taylor.—I have heard the evidence in this case to-day, and from what I have 
heard I believe the child died from the effects of strychnia. I can see no other cause for 
the convulsions. It is quite possible that most poisons may find their way through the 
milk into a child, but it is very improbable, as they pass away through the urine and 
the excretions. I have listened to the evidence about the time the child lingered, and 
I never knew a similar instance of an infant living so long after taking strychnia. 1 
can only suppose that the dose was exceedingly small, but I can see no other cause of 
death. In this particular case, I think the poison was not conveyed through the 
mother’s milk. If it had depended only on the milk, it would have been so rapidly 
absorbed that in the course of nine hours there would have been no trace. 
Cross-examined by Mr. O’Malley —Pure strychnia is a very insoluble substance. It 
is absolutely necessary that it should be dissolved in the stomach. The liquids of the 
stomach exercise a solvent power on it very slowly. , , 
In his speech for the prisoner, Mr. O’Malley contended that there was no proof that 
the prisoner had administered poison to her child wilfully or feloniously, and that no 
reliance could be placed on the statements made by her to Dr. Lowe or Dr. Archer, to 
the effect that she had poisoned herself and her husband, as she was not conscious ail 
the time of what she was saying and doing, and was unable to reply properly to the 
questions put by the doctors. 
The jury found the prisoner “Not Guilty.” 
Poisonous Effects of Cimicifuga.- A case is recorded in the ‘ Medical and 
Surgical Reporter ’ for June, in which one drachm of Squibb’s fluid extract of Actcea 
racemosa* was given to a lady as a parturifacient; in less than two hours the patient 
began to complain of great pain in the head, back, and limbs, with vertigo, to such an 
extent that she could not sit up; the pupils were enormously dilated, and the vision 
much distorted. During the first twelve hours after the toxic dose was exhibited, there 
was nausea and vomiting, with feeble pulse, and prostration. Brandy, coffee, and aro¬ 
matic spirit of ammonia gave relief. 
* The formula for preparing the fluid extract will be found in this Journal, Vol. II. (x. s.), 
p. 467. 
