TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 129, 15 October 1886, Page 2

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS.

Christchurch, This Day. profibbor black's evidence contrnced. On resuming at lOo'clook Professor Black was again placed in the witness-box, and detailed the results of other analyses made by him. In the urine of 13th September, he found what he took to be a trace of antimony, but he was not prepared to sweajr that antimony was present. The test «as made for scientific purposes, to Bes how long antimony would take to eliminate itself from the system. SincA coming to Christchurch he had exw»foed forantimony some cigarettes g«en him Ky Inspector Broham and taken from Hall's, bedroom on the night of the arrest.. He applied the usual test, but could not swear there might not be a trace of antimony, but he did not nnd any. Some, amusement was occasioned bywitness stating that on 16th Augaat a box. was sent him by a carrier, who demanded a shilling for carriage. The professor, asked whether he would take hi* ohaneeß of payi ment or take the box aj;ay, and the carrier elected not to leave it. This course, ydU ness exphUned, was taken in consequence of' a habit people had of sending him parcels from all parts of the colony for analysis and, debiting him with the carriage. Later iv, the day, owing to receipt of a letter, from. Dr. M'lntyre, he looked up the carrier aM got this box, which contained * bottle, of vomit and a bottle of urine, and on analysis antimony was found in both. Professor Ogston examined the cigarettes separately and by a different process to witness. Attorney-General— Did you take any precautions as to the purity of your chemicals ? Professor Black-Certainly ; it is the most elementary part of analysis. The question is an ajbsurd one. This, completed tha examination in chief. PKOPESSOB BLACK CROBS-KXAMIKED. t M noft 0y ? t> sv ro l ss * Bxaminationco!nm enced at 10.30. In the first instance witness was asked to explain the steps taken in applying the various tests, and this the Professor did with great minuteness, showing that the analysis bad been most complete and exhaustive. This only tended to strengthen his evidence m chief, and showed that aoma of the substances found could onjy have

been produced by the presonce of antimony. ' In one test," observed witness, "I found oxi-chloride of antimony, which Taylor on Poisona erroneously described as oxido o! antimony." Blr. Joynt— You call it oxi-cliloridc oi antimony ? Witness— l am speaking to facts. It wii> really oxi-ohloride of antimony. If Dr Taylor wore now quoted in an assembly o! chemists, the man who quoted him on chemi0 il matters would probably be lauphed at. His Honour was about to tako down tbilust answer, when the Professor pmvely romirked, " Your Honour, that was merely aii audoi I won't Bwoar it," a roply which provoked much laughter. To another ({ lestion, lie said his test was jjood enough t > prove the presence of antimony or simething else, of tho ?amc kind of proof, fiat becaupo an animal had two horns hewould bo a sheop. (Renowed laughter.) The witness rontinued — Antimony in an clomentary Biibstanee, and contains nothin;.' but antimony. _ Poison is a s,tupid name aril 1 i not a scientific term. It is n vulgar expression. Mr. Joynt— You know what we vulgai people call poison? Witness— l object to that; I do not cill you vulgar people at all. Subject t<> your Honour's permission I won't allow anj - one to misinterpret my lanpruagc. I u=e the tn-m vnlgar not in the vulgar sense— (1 uightor) — but as being non-scientific Scientific men never speak of " poison." Mr. Joynt— The Legislature £un used the word in respect to tins very charge, and we must stick to the language of the Legislature aft far an possible. Witness — You can't draw a lino botwecn poisonft and non-poisons. Whisky i» poison— wjat do you do with whinlcy? Mr. Joynt— l don't do anything with it Pjrhaps you will toll ua what rim <lo with it - (Laughter.) What do you understand b_v '¦ poison" in the common acceptation of the t3rm? Witness — By poison I understand somefling which 1b destructive of life or injurious t j health if taken into the system ; if that U n-jt adequate, I can't holp it. Antimony by itself I do not think is poison, except in v state of vapour. Mr. Joynt's cro;s-examination occupied ai hour and a half. In answer to Mr. Hay, tbe witness said that in Miss Houston's pocket, which ho analysed, he fonnd no trace of antimony or other poison. His Honour — None was stlggosted, nor diil the Attorney-General opon it to the jury. To tho Attorney-General— Non-scientifio men used tho expression "poison antimony." By that ho should undorstand tartarated antimony or chloride of antimony, oiB)ine other compound of antimony for " poison antimony." He would never dream of looking for the metal. The Attorney-General said that, if necessary, he should ask that the charge be amended so as to read poisoned by tartar antimony. PROFESSOR OaSTON'S EVIDENCE. Dr. Ogston, lecturer on medical jurisprudence in Otago University, said he had studied at Aberdeen, Prague, and Vienna. Had a spocial course at Prague for six months in tho study of poiHons, and was appojnted lecturer on poisons at the University, Aberdeen. Tlie book known as OgHton's Medical Jnrixprndonce was edited by liim. Antimony in its dissoluble form would produce symptoms like those of Mrs. Hall's. The symptoms of antimonial poisoning were vomiting, purging, great depression, sickness, sometimes slight convulsion, itching in the throat, irritation about the nostrils and ejes, and perhaps weakness of the pulse. There would also bo a lower bodily temperature gonerally. Almost invariably consciousness was retained, and vary seldom was thoro any delirium. The fits of vomiting are generally preceded by great nausea. Colchicum gives extremely Himilar symptoms ; indeed all irritant poisons Lave several symptoms in common. On the Ist of Septembor inspected Hall's houso, specially as to drainage. There was nothing in the surroundings of tho house likely to lead to sickness. The witneßS detailed the result of the analysis of ju-lieles forwarded to Professor Black. In tho vomit and urino of 15th August there was abundance of antimony. The iced water of same date showed great abundance of antimony, inducing him to snbmit it to a very severe test. In tho dry tube used in test ho fonnd a very dense and very heavy orange precipitate, showing the presence of immense quantities of antimony. He examined .the cigarettes and found no antimony. The Attorney-General— Looking at the isyxuptoms, and assuming, Doctor, that this f/omit and urine wore from the patient whose symptoms you have heard described, can you state whether in your opinion antimony bad been takon first ? Witness— l think so. The Attorney - General — Can yon say whether it was administered in hurtful quantities ? Witness— Certainly. Tffee Attorney-General— The iced water ¦oonWjjed antimony in large quantities ? Witnetss — Yes ; in such large quantities itliat it probably saved tho patient's life. The Attorney-General — Do I understand ithat the larginsss of tho dose made tho patient very sick P Witness— The largeness of the dose threw a greitt part of it from her. The Attorney-General— Supposing it had Jboon retained, what would have been the trffeot? Witness— Fatal. It would have caused death. In answer to further .questions, witness said— lt is an actual as well as a popular idea to call antimony poison. Had the colchium in the brandy beep injected to Mrs. Hall on tho night of tho arrest, seeing her then low state, tho resxilt would have been fatal. Tho antimony was too depressing to be used in medicines. He never heard of it being used in cigarottes for asthma, and had triod the experiment without finding it give beneficial results. Had practised for fonrtuen years as : a doctor, and never heard of antimony in cigarettes beihg used for awthma. If Hall had been in the habit of diking morphia, and if since tbe arrest no morphia was given him, and ho has suffered no injurious effects from its want, witness ¦did not think h« eoujd have beon suffering very much from morphia poisoning. The Court here adjourned for lunch. 2.40 p.m. Good progress was made with the expert witnesses to-day, and it is now possible, although by no means certain, that the case for • the Crown can be closed to-morrow afternoon.