An Afghan Romance.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 241, 13 October 1886, Page 4

An Afghan Romance.

In tho villago of Mis Banda, on the Cabul River, a young maiden was betrothed to an old chieftain threo time? her age. The wedding day was fixed. Tho poor girl's silence was legally interpreted to mean con»ent. The prayers were said and the blessing given. Tho village band and dancing-girls accompanied the bridceroom in tho procession to bring homo tho bride. But tho bride was not to be found. The young gill's bondmaid rufhed in with wild excitement and said, 'It you want my young mietr.i-B you will find her floating on the Cabul River l" It afterward- appeared that she was deeply in lovo with a young student, nnd when sho heard tho sound of the drum and fluto sho rushed out cf her house with her servant-maid, and, standing on a rock overhanging tho river, sho re quested her maid to tie her hands behind her with tho long black tresses of her hair, and thus phe plunged herself into the rapids rather than provo unfaithful to her first and only love

battle, and a portion of the vomit analysed into another, and on Saturday (next day) Bjnt them by oxpress to Professor Black, Dunedin. He did not hoar tho result of Professor B'nck's analysis boforo the arrest oh Sunday, the loth. Mrs Hall told htun that she had boon very sick indeed, and that the ice-water given her tasted bad. H|Mr Joynt raised tho point that o c'einmumention mado by a patient to a dcotor was ihadruissable undor tho Evidence Further ■Amendment Act, of ISSS, unless by oonsont cf the person making tho communication. ■ Hia Honor said that, as at present advised, the interpretation eought to bo placed on tho Act startled him. Witness could relate what Mrs Hall said to him to account for her feelings and sentiments. Witness continued :■ Mrs Hall complained of tho ice-water, and said it was very bitter, and made her sick. . /"jL*" aminod a nortion of tho ice-water wi aJfi, Drew and found that it contained antlmott *- He then informed Inspector Broham,.-. .1 laid an information against pne _M 3 •*, whs were, arrested. After the lTq C that Sunday night, ho visited ,_S ■ Hall, who was in a stato of great r pri -il distress, but physically was better th in in tho morning. After tho arrest sio stoadily improved, and he ceased to attend hor, in about 3 wooks. Prom that time ho saw none of former symptoms, and no recurrence of sickness. For a day or two tho injoctions wero continued, and she then took sufficient nouri?hm:nt by tho mouth Two battles.ho eont to Profosscr Black, and tho others ho gavo him on Augti?. 2Sth, tho latter having been obtained from the nurap, Mrs Ellison The bottles sent to Blaok wero cprkod, soaled, nnd stamped. Witness had no rocollection of Mrs Hall suffering from mild fever, but she suffered from inflammation ond sacculation of . th^ right breast for fifteen days; recovering three weeks aftor the copljooment. This would account for her oarlier illness. Never before had he expWienced antimonialjpoisoning, or poisoning; by col^chicum. Mr Stout: Is antimpny a poison ? Witness: Metal antimony is nnt necessary. Tartar emetic, which is antimony and tartar acid, is an iriitant poison. To Mr Joynt: I got urine to September 14th from the nurse, but did not analyse it nor give it to anyone for analysis. Up to the confino-nent Mrs Hall was fairly well; bismuth was given to allay sickness and check diarrhira. On May 7th proscribed bismuth and belladonna. Sho must have suffered from somo disorder of tho digestive system. On May 23rd ho proscribed chloral. Sho was suffering from an irritating cough, He thought Mrs Hall was of bilious habits. He would not expect her to bo sick for more than a few hours, if at all, from tho inflammation of breast. Mr Joynt: Whon did it first occur to you .that hersymptoms wore untuual for hor condition ? ( Witness . Very poon after vomiting. Ho attributed it to enteritis or gastritis, and ulceration of stomach, but discovering no blood be concluded thoro were no,open soroe in her stomach. Yellowness and bluish tinge under her eyes were quito consistent with Bevoro biliousness. To Hall he suggested tho first consultation. Hall waa quito agrooable to further medical, advice. I named Drs, Lovogrovo and Hogg, as Dr. Drew and Hall fixed on Dr. Drew.

Witness had no recolloctioti then of saying anything as to tho cau?o of Illness or of keeping oxcreta for examination. It was only the last part of her illness (for a wook or ten days) that he discolored tho skin ot the heel was peeling and drynoss of flesh. Throughout hor illness temperature of body generally was about normal. On July 19th he prescribed laudanum, probably for external application. A week later he prescribed digitalis md belladonna. If taken in large quantities digitalis would produce such symptoms as he was combatting with Ho WM positive that ho suggested to Hall tho consultation on July 28th, and that ho first suggested Dr. Stackpole. Hall concurred immediately, and sent for Dr. Stack polo. The latter suggested that tho symptoms might bo due to brain "Affection, and witness ngreod. Bismuth if administered in large doses is poisonous, and produces sickness, vomiting, purging and pain. Bismuth was continued from July 28th till the morning of August 12th. It might also produce burniug paius in the throat, but not if taken in such quantitio3 as ho had prescribed. Several days boforo the third consultation ho was much struck with tbo similarity of the symptoms to thoso produced by an irritant poison. It occurred to him that it was

a poison it would most probably be arsenic or antimony. That improseion was formed spontaneously, and not in consequence of a communication by anybody. Dr. Hogg sent nothing to him till aftor the arrest. A few days before August 12th Dr. Drew met him, and inquired otter Mrs Hall's health. The way the question was put incited witness to ask — " Are you thinking of antimony ?'' Dr. Diew made no answer, At .he consultation he did not inforrh

Or. Lovegrove, the senior consultant, of his suspicions of the similarity of the symptoms to those of irritant poisons. "No conclusion was arrived at as to the cause of the illness. Neither Dr. Drew nor witness communicated to tbo ' othor consultant that it might be antimony. Dr. Lovegrovo appeared to be quite at fault as to the cause of the il'ness. Tho analysis extended over the whole of tho afternoon of August-13th. Eeinech's tost was used and we perceived a violet metallic deposit on tbe copper. That satisfied him that ho would bo fully justified in sending po tious of the urine and vomit >to Professor Black for further analysis. Jndging lrom tho intonsity cf the colour, there wero indications of largo quantities of antimony. Witness fully detailed tho eteps taken in the analysts made. By Mr Joynt: Toylor says that indications of violet red show that quantities of poison are small. You differ from Mr ■Taylor, ••

. Witness considered that the indications showed the presence of largo quantities of antimony. Tho colour waa not violet red, but violet and purple. It was usual in consultations to confide to brother consultants in matters throwing any light on the case in hand. It was not a fact so far as witness was aware that Hall had shown a desire from the first to have his wife's exrota examined. He always evidenced great solicitude concerning his wife's health and once complained to witness personally concerning his inattention to Mrs Hall. Prisoner never told witness that if ho were not moro attentive he would have to call

,1 in another doctor. Witne's was not aware of £(g having been co informed by Hall. He ha. . previously attended Mr and Mrs nail, senr., who had ceased to employ him. This was in consequence of idea's on Mrs Hall's part of his attention, With tho oxception of one bottle of wine he did not remember any. bottles of excreta sent him which he did ; not examined. Did not remember a boy, Wilson, coming into the bslliard-room of '■: itho Grosvenor Hotel, and saying that he --was-sent with a vessel containing some :* excreta for witness to examine. Had no recollection ot promising Hall that ho would • riot again prescribe for his wife till ho had examinod hor excreta. Tho suggestion that •Hall's house should bo connoctod with witness's at night first came from witness. --. Had'never beforo met wilh a caso of antirnonial poisoning, but had with a case of , hydrochloric acid poisoning. That was an instance of acute poisoning, terminating in death, occurring at Timaru a few yeirs ago. On September 13 he cent some urine • to Professor Black. With tho exception of one little pan in - tbe sick-room, bo had not examined any of the cooking utensils at Woodlands. The prisonor Hall has suffered a good deal from sciatica and asthma, ! aud witness had injected morphia in very large quantities for sciatica. Mr Joynt: Wliat ia the effect of morphia injected in largo quantities? Witness: A powerful soporific .effect. It rolievos tho nervos and has a vory poivort ial effect on the brain—first stimulating and then depressing. His suspicions of nntimonial poisoning wero aroused on Fri- •■-' day, but ho took no stops before tho Sunday <. to prevent a continuance of the consequences of antimontcal poisoning. At this stage, the cross-examination was ti! interrupted by tho luncheon adjournment.

WELLINGTON NO_.ES,

(BY TKLEOBAPH — OWN COEEESroNDENT.)

j-i Wellington, this day. Sib Robert Stoot is not expected back in Wellington for about a fortnight. After finishing with the Hall case in Christehurch ho will leave for Dunedin, and then burry back to Wellington.

The entortainment in aid of St. Barnab.s's choir fund takes place to-morrow (Thursday) evening at 7.30 o'clock at ' the Mount Eden Hall. The first part . of the programme consists of solos and duets by members of the choir ; violin solo by Master Stevenson; and comic songs ' (in character) by Mr T. Leedham ; the whole to conclude with tho. laughable farce "Done on Both Sides." A'bus will ,- leave corner of Vibtoria-street at a quarter i to 7, returning after the entertainment.