431 
VETERINARY JURISPRUDENCE. 
it that evening 1 , as Mr. Brown was engaged. I left it with Mr. Rees. 
On Wednesday Mr. Brown and myself analysed the contents. We did 
not complete the investigation on that day. We finished on the follow¬ 
ing Friday. The result uf our investigation was that we suspected 
strychnine had been the cause of their death. When we commenced 
we found nothing. On Friday morning we discovered strychnine. We 
administered what we supposed to be strychnine to two cats and one 
rabbit. The cats showed the usual symptoms of being poisoned by strych¬ 
nine. One of the cats was an old one and the other young. The old cat was 
the worst. We presented some to a rabbit, but it was a smaller quantity. 
It had the same effect on the rabbit as on the cats. The poison began 
to act on the old cat about ten minutes after it had been administered to 
her. She was from twenty minutes to half an hour before she died. 
The young cat was about half an hour before she showed any symptoms 
of it. In my opinion the black and white bitch died from strychnine. I 
have no doubt at all about it. 
Cross-examined by Mr. W. S. Owen—The fat 1 speak of might have 
been greaves. I can't say what quantity of strychnine had been given. 
I believe poison is found in the liver. I never examined a dog that had 
been poisoned by strychnine before. I have never seen a case of poison¬ 
ing by strychnine. 1 believe the strychnine was in large quantities. 
I cannot tell how much strychnine was found in the dog. 
Wm. Rees deposed—I am an assistant to Dr. Brown, practising in 
this town. I know the last witness. He delivered something over to 
me on the 4th of this month in the surgery. He delivered to me four 
bottles. I put them in a cupboard, locked them up, and kept the key. 
I gave them to Mr. Brown when he came home. I kept them for 
four days. I was assisting in the analysis. 
J. D. Brown examined—I am a surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal 
Society of Surgeons, and practise in this town. I have had a great 
deal of experience of the effects of strychnine. I did, in conjunction 
with Mr. James and the last witness, examine the contents of four 
bottles which were handed to me by Mr. Rees. Mr. James assisted me 
in the examination. The bottles were delivered to me by my assistant. 
We began to examine on Wednesday evening. In the course of our 
examination we found strychnine. 
{Mr. Owen here admitted that the dog died of poison). 
Cross-examined by Mr. W. S. Owen—I believe the strychnine was in 
great quantities. The solution we had was very strong. Strychnine 
leaves no symptoms in the coats of the stomach. 
Re-examined by Mr. Evans—If the strychnine had been administered 
in crvstal it would not kill so soon as if it was solution. It would have 
* 
acted very much sooner if the stomach had been empty. I have seen 
it act in ten minutes. 
Cross-examination resumed—I have an opinion that the strychnine 
was administered in large quantities. I have sufficient now in the 
surgery to kill six dogs. The rabbit was not killed, but was convulsed 
for about twelve hours. It commenced about eleven o’clock in the fore¬ 
noon, and lasted until twelve o’clock that night. 1 made particular in¬ 
vestigation of the piece of fat. Strychnine is used to poison vermin. 
Judging by the little that killed the two cats I believe it was administered 
in large quantities. I believe that one grain of strychnine, if it gets 
into the blood, would kill in two hours. I don’t know that it would 
be more rapid with animals than with people. I made no other ex¬ 
amination than the stomach. There was sufficient strychnine found to 
kill suddenly. The piece of fat might have been greaves. I did not 
see any bread in the stomach. 
