POISONING BY ACONITE. 
93 
thing. Three chemists had been called, and had differed in their evidence, as chemists 
always did, when employed on opposite sides. It was, he regretted to say, found to be 
the case that scientific men could always take a scientific view according to the wishes 
of the party whose cause they were engaged to support; and science was not 7 et so cer¬ 
tain but that they might do so conscientiously. It had been urged by the learned gen¬ 
tleman for the prosecution that the Government chemists had necessarily more know¬ 
ledge of such points as the one which had been considered than had Dr. Hill, because 
they were more constantly engaged in analyses of this kind than Dr. Hill, who was only 
called in on these particular investigations. He would grant, for the sake of the argu¬ 
ment, that this was so, and possibly, if^ he had to decide upon the evidence of the 
chemists, he might have been inclined to come to the conclusion that those who had 
come from Somerset House were more likely to be right than Dr. Hill. But it would be 
seen that the case did not depend solely on the evidence of those witnesses; it went 
further, because the witness Hanning, who had been in defendant’s employ six months, 
and who knew how the mixture was made—and whose evidence he was inclined to 
believe, for he appeared to give it in a perfectly truthful and straightforward manner— 
had sworn positively that no methylated spirits were used. Under those circumstances 
he should dismiss the case. He thought, however, that the inquiry had done some good, 
for it would draw the attention of the public to the extensive use of methylated spirits 
in the making of medicines, and he hoped that the South Staffordshire Hospital would 
be the first to take steps to prevent such use of it, at least for internal medicines. He 
should do his best, so far as he had any influence, to bring about that result. 
The proceedings, which had occupied the attention of a crowded Court for four hours, 
then terminated. 
POISONING BY ACONITE. 
On Wednesday, July 4th, the Brighton borough coroner held an inquest on Mrs. Ellen 
Vivian Warder, aged about thirty-five years, wife of Dr. Alfred William Warder. The 
deceased lady was the sister of Mr. K. Branwell, a surgeon at Brighton, but neither she 
nor her husband resided there. They came on a visit to Brighton, about two months 
ago, and took lodgings in a house in Bedford Square. About six weeks ago Mrs. Warder 
was attacked with illness. Her husband himself attended on her till her brother, Mr. 
Branwell, called in the aid of Dr. Taafe, of Brighton. Eichard Patrick Burke Taafe 
deposed to having been called in, four or five weeks ago, to attend the deceased. He 
described her symptoms and his remedies at very great length. She got better for a 
time, but about a week before her death she got gradually worse. When he first saw her 
Dr. Warder said that he had been prescribing 20-drop doses of Fleming’s tincture of 
aconite, as the only remedy to allay the pain of the strangury, which remedy had also 
produced tingling in her limbs. Witness objected to the remedy and the dose, and sub¬ 
stituted such remedies as henbane, castor, and valerian. These remedies seemed to do 
good at first, but after some days he was informed that she could not take them. 
Witness continued: On Sunday morning I saw Mr. Branwell in the course of the fore¬ 
noon, and I then noticed the peculiarity of this case to him. I said I was very much 
puzzled, and could not understand it. He looked at me very hard, and said he had a 
painful impression in his own mind, and that he intended to mention it to me, but for 
motives of delicacy had not done so. On Saturday, before I saw Mr. Branwell, I sug¬ 
gested to Dr. Warder that I should have another medical man’s opinion. He said, “I 
wish you would.” Witness then minutely detailed the results of the post-inortem exa¬ 
mination, and added, I am not in a position to state that there is any natural cause of 
death. Charlotte Lansden, living at 36, Bedford Square, Brighton, deposed that deceased 
and her husband came to lodge there on the 23rd of May last. Deceased did not appear 
to be ill when she came to her house. Dr. Warder rang a call-bell about half-past five 
on Sunday morning. Witness sent her servant immediately, but the bell was rung a 
second time before the servant reached the room. She followed her servant immediately. 
Deceased was in bed and undressed. She was not able to speak, and seemingly uncon¬ 
scious. Her countenance was very calm. Deceased died about six o’clock. My servant 
had told me on the Saturday night that Dr. Warder was going to sit up. I then went 
