Medical Evidence
On being called, the medical witness enters the witness-box and takes
the oath. This is very generally done by uplifting the right hand and
repeating the oath (Scottish form), or by kissing the Bible, or by
making a solemn affirmation.
1. He may be called to give ordinary evidence as a common witness.
Thus he may be asked to detail the facts of an accident which he has
observed, and of the inferences he h
any lay observer might be asked.
2. Expert Witness.--On the other hand, he may be examined on matters
of a technical or professional character. The medical man then gives
evidence of a skilled or expert nature. He may be asked his opinion on
certain facts narrated--e.g., if a certain wound would be immediately
fatal. Again, he may be asked whether he concurs with opinions held by
other medical authorities.
In important cases specialists are often called to give evidence of a
skilled nature. Thus the hospital surgeon, the nerve specialist, or the
mental consultant may be served with a subpoena to appear at court on a
certain date to give evidence. The evidence of such skilled observers
will, it is supposed, carry greater weight with the jury than would the
evidence of an ordinary practitioner.
Skilled witnesses may hear the evidence of ordinary witnesses in regard
to the case in which they are to give evidence, and it is, indeed,
better that they should understand the case thoroughly, but they are not
usually allowed to hear the evidence of other expert witnesses.
In civil cases the medical witness should, previous to the trial, make
an agreement with the solicitor who has called him with reference to the
fee he is to receive. Before consenting to appear as a witness the
practitioner should insist on having all the facts of the case put
before him in writing. In this way only can he decide as to whether in
his opinion the plaintiff or defendant is right as regards the medical
evidence. If summoned by the side on which he thinks the medical
testimony is correct, then it is his duty to consent to appear. If,
however, he is of opinion that the medical evidence is clearly and
correctly on the opposite side, then he ought to refuse to appear and
give evidence; and, indeed, the lawyer would not desire his presence in
the witness-box unless he could uphold the case.
Whether an expert witness who has no personal knowledge of the facts is
bound to attend on a subpoena is a moot point. It would be safer for him
to do so, and to explain to the judge before taking the oath that his
memory has not been sufficiently 'refreshed.' The solicitor, if he
desires his evidence, will probably see that the fee is forthcoming.
A witness may be subjected to three examinations: first, by the party
on whose side he is engaged, which is called the 'examination in chief,'
and in which he affords the basis for the next examination or
'cross-examination' by the opposite side. The third is the
're-examination' by his own side. In the first he merely gives a clear
statement of facts or of his opinions. In the next his testimony is
subjected to rigid examination in order to weaken his previous
statements. In the third he is allowed to clear up any discrepancies in
the cross-examination, but he must not introduce any new matter which
would render him liable to another cross-examination.
The medical witness should answer questions put to him as clearly and as
concisely as possible. He should make his statements in plain and simple
language, avoiding as much as possible technical terms and figurative
expressions, and should not quote authorities in support of his
opinions.
An expert witness when giving evidence may refer to notes for the
purpose of refreshing his memory, but only if the notes were taken by
him at the time when the observations were made, or as soon after as
practicable.
There are various courts in which a medical witness may be called on
to give evidence:
1. =The Coroner's Court.=--When a coroner is informed that the dead body
of a person is lying within his jurisdiction, and that there is
reasonable cause to suspect that such person died either a violent or
unnatural death, or died a sudden death of which the cause is unknown,
he must summon a jury of not less than twelve men to investigate the
matter--in other words, hold an inquest--and if the deceased had
received medical treatment, the coroner may summon the medical attendant
to give evidence. By the Coroners (Emergency Provisions) Act of 1917,
the number of the jury has been cut down to a minimum of seven and a
maximum of eleven men. By the Juries Act of 1918, the coroner has the
power of holding a court without a jury if, in his discretion, it
appears to be unnecessary. In charges of murder, manslaughter, deaths of
prisoners in prison, inmates of asylums or inebriates' homes, or of
infants in nursing homes, he must summon a jury. The coroner may be
satisfied with the evidence as to the cause of a person's death, and may
dispense with an inquest and grant a burial certificate.
Cases are notified to the coroner by the police, parish officer, any
medical practitioner, registrar of deaths, or by any private individual.
Witnesses, having been cited to appear, are examined on oath by the
coroner, who must, in criminal cases at least, take down the evidence in
writing. This is then read over to each witness, who signs it, and this
forms his deposition. At the end of each case the coroner sums up, and
the jury return their verdict or inquisition, either unanimously or by
a majority.
If this charges any person with murder or manslaughter, he is committed
by the coroner to prison to await trial, or, if not present, the coroner
may issue a warrant for his arrest.
A chemical analysis of the contents of the stomach, etc., in suspected
cases of poisoning is usually done by a special analyst named by the
coroner. If any witness disobeys the summons to attend the inquest, he
renders himself liable to a fine not exceeding £2 2s., but in addition
the coroner may commit him to prison for contempt of court. In criminal
cases the witnesses are bound over to appear at the assizes to give
evidence there. The coroner may give an order for the exhumation of a
body if he thinks the evidence warrants a post-mortem examination.
Coroners' inquests are held in all cases of sudden or violent death,
where the cause of death is not clear; in cases of assault, where death
has taken place immediately or some time afterwards; in cases of
homicide or suicide; where the medical attendant refuses to give a
certificate of death; where the attendants on the deceased have been
culpably negligent; or in certain cases of uncertified deaths.
The medical witness should be very careful in giving evidence before a
coroner. Even though the inquest be held in a coach-house or barn, yet
it has to be remembered it is a court of law. If the case goes on for
trial before a superior court, your deposition made to the coroner forms
the basis of your examination. Any misstatements or discrepancies in
your evidence will be carefully inquired into, and you will make a bad
impression on judge and jury if you modify, retract, or explain away
your evidence as given to the coroner. You had your opportunity of
making any amendments on your evidence when the coroner read over to you
your deposition before you signed it as true.
By the Licensing Act of 1902, an inquest may not be held in any premises
licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquor if other suitable premises
have been provided.
The duties of the coroner are based partly on Common Law, and are also
defined by statute, principally by the Coroners Act of 1887 (50 and 51
Vict. c. 71). They have been modified, however, by subsequent
Acts--e.g., the Act of 1892, the Coroners (Emergency Provisions) Act,
1917, and the Juries Act of 1918.
The fee payable to a medical witness for giving evidence at an inquest
is one guinea, with an extra guinea for making a post-mortem examination
and report (in the metropolitan area these fees are doubled). The
coroner must sign the order authorizing the payment, and should an
inquest be adjourned to a later day, no further fee is payable. If the
deceased died in a hospital, infirmary, or lunatic asylum, the medical
witness is not paid any fee. Should a medical witness neglect to make
the post-mortem examination after receiving the order to do so, he is
liable to a fine of £5.
In Scotland the Procurator Fiscal fulfils many of the duties of the
coroner, but he cannot hold a public inquiry. He interrogates the
witnesses privately, and these questions with the answers form the
precognition. More serious cases are dealt with by the Sheriff of each
county, and capital charges must be dealt with by the High Court of
Justiciary. In Scotland the verdicts of the jury may be 'guilty,' 'not
guilty,' or 'not proven.'
2. =The Magistrate's Court or Petty Sessions= is also a court of
preliminary inquiry. The prisoner may be dealt with summarily, as, for
example, in minor assault cases, or, if the case is of sufficient
gravity, and the evidence justifies such a course, may be committed for
trial. The fee for a medical witness who resides within three miles of
the court is ten shillings and sixpence; if at a greater distance, one
guinea.
In the Metropolis the prisoner in the first instance is brought before a
magistrate, technically known as the 'beak,' who, in addition to being a
person of great acumen, is a stipendiary, and thus occupies a superior
position to the ordinary 'J.P.,' who is one of the great unpaid. In the
City of London is the Mansion House Justice-Room, presided over by the
Lord Mayor or one of the Aldermen. The prisoner may ultimately be sent
for trial to the Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, or
elsewhere.
3. =Quarter Sessions.=--These are held every quarter by Justices of the
Peace. All cases can be tried before the sessions except felonies or
cases which involve difficult legal questions. In London this court is
known as the Central Criminal Court, and it also acts as the Assize
Court. In Borough Sessions a barrister known as the Recorder is
appointed as sole judge.
4. =The Assizes= deal with both criminal and civil cases. There is the
Crown Court, where criminal cases are tried, and there is the Civil
Court, where civil cases are heard. Before a case sent up by a lower
court can be tried by the judge and petty jury, it is investigated by
the grand jury, which is composed of superior individuals. If they
find a 'true bill,' the case goes on; but if they 'throw it out,' the
accused is at liberty to take his departure. At the Court of Assize the
prisoner is tried by a jury of twelve. In bringing in the verdict the
jury must be unanimous. If they cannot agree, the case must be retried
before a new jury. At the Assize Court the medical witness gets a guinea
a day, with two shillings extra to pay for his bed and board for every
night he is away from home, with his second-class railway fare, if there
is a second class on the railway by which he travels. If there is no
railway, and he has to walk, he is entitled to threepence a mile for
refreshments both ways.
5. =Court of Criminal Appeal.=--This was established in 1908, and
consists of three judges. A right of appeal may be based (1) solely on a
question of law; (2) on certificate from the judge who tried the
prisoner; (3) on mitigation of sentence.
Speaking generally, in the Superior Courts the fees which may be claimed
by medical men called on to give evidence are a guinea a day if resident
in the town in which the case is tried, and from two to three guineas a
day if resident at a distance from the place of trial, this to include
everything except travelling expenses. The medical witness also receives
a reasonable allowance for hotel and travelling expenses.
If a witness is summoned to appear before two courts at the same time,
he must obey the summons of the higher court. Criminal cases take
precedence of civil.
A medical man has no right to claim privilege as an excuse for not
divulging professional secrets in a court of law, and the less he talks
about professional etiquette the better. Still, in a civil case, if he
were to make an emphatic protest, the matter in all probability would
not be pressed. In a criminal case he would promptly be reminded of the
nature of his oath.
A medical man may be required to furnish a formal written report. It
may be the history of a fatal illness or the result of a post-mortem
examination. These reports must be drawn up very carefully, and no
technical terms should be employed.
No witness on being sworn can be compelled to 'kiss the book.' The Oaths
Act (51 and 52 Vict., c. 46, § 5) declares, without any qualification,
that 'if any person to whom an oath is administered desires to swear
with uplifted hand, in the form and manner in which an oath is usually
administered in Scotland, he shall be permitted to do so, and the oath
shall be administered to him in such form and manner without further
question.' The witness takes the oath standing, with the bare right hand
uplifted above the head, the formula being: 'I swear by Almighty God
that I will speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth.' The presiding judge should say the words, and the witness should
repeat them after him. There is no kissing of the book, and the words
'So help me, God,' which occur in the English form, are not employed. It
will be noted that the Scotch form constitutes an oath, and is not an
affirmation. The judge has no right to ask if you object on religious
grounds, or to put any question. He is bound by the provisions of the
Act, and the enactment applies not only to all forms of the witness
oath, whether in civil or criminal courts, or before coroners, but to
every oath which may be lawfully administered either in Great Britain or
Ireland.
A witness engaged to give expert evidence should demand his fee before
going into court, or, at all events, before being sworn.
With regard to notes, these should be made at the time, on the spot, and
may be used by the witness in court as a refresher to the memory, though
not altogether to supply its place. All evidence is made up of
testimony, but all testimony is not evidence. The witness must not
introduce hearsay testimony. In one case only is hearsay evidence
admissible, and that is in the case of a dying declaration. This is a
statement made by a dying person as to how his injuries were inflicted.
These declarations are accepted because the law presumes that a dying
man is anxious to speak the truth. But the person must believe that he
is actually on the point of death, with absolutely no hope of
recovery. A statement was rejected because the dying person, in using
the expression 'I have no hope of recovery,' requested that the words
'at present' should be added. If after making the statement the patient
were to say, 'I hope now I shall get better,' it would invalidate the
declaration. To make the declaration admissible as evidence, death must
ensue. If possible, a magistrate should take the dying declaration; but
if he is not available, the medical man, without any suggestions or
comments of his own, should write down the statements made by the dying
person, and see them signed and witnessed. It must be made clear to the
court that at the time of making his statement the witness was under the
full conviction of approaching or impending death.
More
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Death By Hanging
In hanging, death occurs by asphyxia, as in drowning. Sensibility is soon lost, and death takes place in four or five minutes. The eyes in some cases are brilliant and staring, tongue swollen and livid, blood or bloody froth is found about the mou... Death By Strangulation
This differs from hanging in that the body is not suspended. It may be effected by a ligature round the neck, or by direct pressure on the windpipe with the hand, in which case death is said to be caused by throttling. Strangulation is frequently ... Death By Suffocation
Signs and Symptoms.--There are usually three stages: 1. Exaggerated respiratory activity; air hunger; anxiety; congested appearance of face; ringing in ears. 2. Loss of consciousness; convulsions; relaxation of sphincters. 3. Respirations f... Death From AnÆsthetics Etc
The coroner in England and Wales and Ireland must inquire into every case of death during the administration of an anæsthetic. The anæsthetist has to appear at the inquest, and must answer a long series of questions relative to the administratio... Death From Cold Or Heat
=Cold.=--The weak, aged, or infants, readily succumb to low temperatures. The symptoms are increasing lassitude, drowsiness, coma, with sometimes illusions of sight. Post mortem, bright red patches are found on the skin surface, and the blood rema... Death From Lightning And Electricity
The signs of death from lightning vary greatly. In some cases there are no signs; in others the body may be most curiously marked. Wounds of various characters--contused, lacerated, and punctured--may be produced. There may be burns, vesications, ... Death From Starvation
The post-mortem appearances in death from starvation are as follows: There is marked general emaciation; the skin is dry, shrivelled, and covered with a brown, bad-smelling excretion; the muscles soft, atrophied, and free from fat; the liver is sm... Definition Of A Poison
Though the law does not define in definite terms what a poison really is, it lays stress on the malicious intention in giving a drug or other substance to an individual. It is a felony to administer, or cause to be administered, any poison or othe... Delivery
The signs of recent delivery are as follows: The face is pale, with dark circles round the eyes; the pulse quickened; the skin soft, warm, and covered with a peculiar sweat; the breasts full, tense, and knotty; the abdomen distended, its integumen... Dementia: Acute Chronic Senile And Paralytic
In dementia the mental aberration does not occur until the mind has become fully developed, thus differing from amentia, which is congenital or comes on very early in life. =Acute Dementia.=--This is a condition of profound melancholy or stupor,... Detection Of Blood-stains Etc
Stains may require detection on clothing, on cutting instruments, on floors and furniture, etc. The following are the distinctive characters of blood-stains: (a) =Ocular Inspection.=--Blood-stains on dark-coloured materials, which in daylight m... Detection Of Poisons
Notice the smell, colour, and general appearance, of the matter submitted for examination. The odour may show the presence of prussic acid, alcohol, opium, or phosphorus. The colour may indicate salts of copper, cantharides, etc. Seeds of plants m... Digitalis
All parts of the plant Digitalis purpurea (purple foxglove) are poisonous. Contains the glucoside digitalin and other active principles. Symptoms.--Nausea, vomiting, purging, and abdominal pains. Vomited matter grass-green in colour. Headache, g... Duration Of Pregnancy
The natural period of gestation is considered as forty weeks, ten lunar months, or 280 days. A medical witness would have to admit the possibility of gestation being prolonged to 300 days, and if this time were not very materially exceeded it woul... Duty Of Practitioner In Supposed Case Of Poisoning
If called to a case supposed or suspected to be one of poisoning, the medical man has two duties to perform: To save the patient's life, and to place himself in a position to give evidence if called on to do so. If life is extinct, his duty is a s... Evidence Of Poisoning
It may be inferred that poison has been taken from consideration of the following factors: Symptoms and post-mortem appearances, experiments on animals, chemical analysis, and the conduct of suspected persons. 1. Symptoms in poisoning usually co... Evidences Of Live Birth
The signs of live birth prior to respiration are negative and positive. A negative opinion may be formed when evidence is found of the child having undergone intra-uterine maceration. In this case the body will be flaccid and flattened; the ilia p... Examination Of Persons Found Dead
When a medical man is called to a case of sudden death, he should carefully note anything likely to throw any light on the cause of death. He should notice the place where the body was found, the position and attitude of the body, the soil or surf... Examination Of Persons Of Unsound Mind
The following hints with regard to the examination of patients supposed to be insane will be useful: The general appearance and shape of head, complexion, and expression of countenance, gait, movements, and speech, should be noted; the state of th... Feigned Diseases
Malingering in its various forms is by no means uncommon, and by many is regarded as a disease in itself. It is necessary, however, to distinguish between those cases in which it is feigned for some definite purpose--for example, to escape punishm... Foeticide Or Criminal Abortion
This consists in giving to any woman, or causing to be taken by her, with intent to procure her miscarriage, any poison or other noxious thing, or using for the same purpose any instruments or other means whatsoever. It is a felony to procure or a... Gaseous Poisons
=Carbon Dioxide.=--Carbon dioxide is a product of combustion and respiration, and is generated in many ways during fermentation. It is a constituent of choke damp due to explosions in coal-mines, and is given off from lime-kilns, brick-kilns, and ... Gunshot Wounds
These may be punctured, contused, or lacerated. Round balls make a larger opening than those which are conical. Small shot fired at a short distance make one large ragged opening; while at distances greater than 3 feet the shot scatter and there i... Hydrochloric Acid
=Hydrochloric Acid=, muriatic acid, or spirit of salt, is not uncommonly used for suicidal purposes, being fifth in the list. Method of Extraction from the Stomach.--The same as for sulphuric acid. As hydrochloric acid is a constituent of the ga... Hydrocyanic Acid
=Prussic Acid= is the most active of poisons. The diluted hydrocyanic acid of the Pharmacopoeia contains 2 per cent. of hydrocyanic acid, Scheele's 4 per cent. It is a colourless liquid, feebly acid, with odour of bitter almonds. =Cyanide of Po... Idiocy Imbecility Cretinism
=Idiocy= is not a disease, but a congenital condition in which the intellectual faculties are either never manifested or have not been sufficiently developed to enable the idiot to acquire an amount of knowledge equal to that acquired by other per... Impotence And Sterility
In the male, impotence may arise from physical or mental causes. The physical causes may be--too great or too tender an age; malformation of the genital organs; crypsorchides, defect or disease in the testicles; constitutional disease (diabetes, n... Incised Wounds And Those Accompanied By Solution Of Continuity
These comprise incised, punctured, and lacerated wounds. In a recent incised wound inflicted during life there is copious hæmorrhage, the cellular tissue is filled with blood, the edges of the wound gape and are everted, and the cavity of the wou... Infanticide
Infanticide, or the murder of a new-born child, is not treated as a specific crime, but is tried by the same rules as in cases of felonious homicide. The term is applied technically to those cases in which the mother kills her child at, or soon af... Inheritance
In order to inherit, the child must be born alive, must be born during the lifetime of the mother, and must be born capable of inheriting--that is to say, monsters are incapable of inheriting. There is a mode of inheritance called 'tenancy by cour... Inorganic Irritants
=Nitrate of Potassium (Nitre, Saltpetre)--Bitartrate of Potassium (Cream of Tartar)--Alum (Double Sulphate of Alumina and Potassium)--Chlorides of Lime, Sodium, and Potassium.=--All these are irritant drugs, and give the usual symptoms. ... Iodine--iodide Of Potassium
=Iodine= occurs in scales of a dark bluish-black colour. It strikes blue with solution of starch, and stains the skin and intestines yellowish-brown. Liquid preparations, as the liniment or tincture, may be taken accidentally or suicidally. Sym... Lead And Its Preparations
=Acetate of Lead= (Sugar of Lead).--A glistening white powder or crystalline mass. Soluble in water, with a sweetish taste. It is practically the only lead salt which gives rise to acute symptoms, and only when taken in large doses. Symptoms.--... Legitimacy
A child born in wedlock is presumed to have the mother's husband for its father. This may, however, be open to question upon the following grounds: Absence or death of the reputed father; impotence or disease in the husband preventing matrimonial ... Mania
Under the term 'mania' are included all those forms of mental unsoundness in which there is undue excitement. It is divided into general, intellectual, and moral, and each of the two latter classes again into general and partial. =General Mania... Marriage And Divorce
Marriage may be accomplished in many ways: (1) By the publication of banns; (2) by an ordinary licence; (3) by a special licence; (4) by the Superintendent-Registrar's licence; (5) by a special licence granted by the Archbishop of Canterbury in co... Medical Evidence
On being called, the medical witness enters the witness-box and takes the oath. This is very generally done by uplifting the right hand and repeating the oath (Scottish form), or by kissing the Bible, or by making a solemn affirmation. 1. He ma... Mental Unsoundness
The presumption in law is in favour of a person's sanity, even though he may be deaf, dumb, or blind. The terms 'insanity,' 'lunacy,' 'unsoundness of mind,' 'mental derangement,' 'madness,' and 'mental alienation or aberration,' are indifferent... Mercury And Its Preparations
The most important salt of mercury, toxicologically, is corrosive sublimate. Other poisonous preparations are red precipitate, white precipitate, mercuric nitrate, the cyanide and potassio-mercuric iodide. Calomel has very little toxic action. Met... Modes Of Sudden Death
There are three modes in which death may occur: (1) Syncope; (2) asphyxia; (3) coma. 1. =Syncope= is death beginning at the heart--in other words, failure of circulation. It may arise from--(1) Anæmia, or deficiency of blood due to hæmorrhage... Nitric Acid
=Nitric Acid=, or aqua fortis, is less frequently used as a poison than sulphuric acid. The fumes from nitric acid have caused death from pneumonia in ten or twelve hours. Method of Extraction from the Stomach.--The same as for sulphuric acid. ... Nux Vomica Strychnine And Brucine
=Nux Vomica= consists of the seeds of the Strychnos nux vomica. From these strychnine and brucine are obtained. The symptoms, post-mortem appearances, and treatment, of poisoning by nux vomica are the same as for strychnine. =Strychnine= is a p... Opium And Morphine
=Opium.=--The inspissated juice of the unripe capsules of the Papaver somniferum. As a poison it is generally taken in the form of the tincture (laudanum), which contains 1 grain opium in 15 minims. Opium is found in almost all so-called 'soothing... Oxalic Acid
=Oxalic Acid= is used by suicides, though not often by murderers. The crystals closely resemble those of Epsom salts or sulphate of zinc; oxalic acid has been taken in mistake for the former. It is in common use for cleansing brass, in laundry wor... Personal Identity
It is but seldom that medical evidence is required with regard to the identification of the living, though it may sometimes be so, as in the celebrated Tichborne case. The medical man may in such cases be consulted as to family resemblance, marks ... Petroleum And Paraffin-oil
Cases of poisoning by petroleum and paraffin are common, and occur chiefly in children. =Petroleum= is a natural product, and is a mixture of the higher saturated hydrocarbons. The crude petroleum is purified by distillation, and is then free f... Phosphorus
=Phosphorus= is usually found in small, waxy-looking cylinders, which are kept in water to prevent oxidation. It may also occur as the amorphous non-poisonous variety, a red opaque infusible substance, insoluble in carbon disulphide. Ordinary phos... Poisonous Fungi And Toxic Foods
=Fungi.=--Of the poisonous mushrooms, the Amanita phalloides and the fly agaric, or Agaricus muscarius, are the most potent. The active principle of the former is phallin, and of the latter muscarine. The Amanita phalloides is distinguished from t... Potash Soda And Ammonia
=Caustic Potash= occurs in cylindrical sticks, is soapy to the touch, has an acrid taste, is deliquescent, fusible by heat, soluble in water. =Liquor Potassæ= is a strong solution of caustic potash, and has a similar reaction. =Carbonate of Potas... Pregnancy
The signs of the existence of pregnancy are of two kinds, uncertain and certain, or maternal and foetal. Amongst the former class are included--Cessation of menstruation (which may occur without pregnancy); morning vomiting; salivation; enlargemen... Presumption Of Death; Survivorship
=Presumption of Death.=--If a person be unheard of for seven years, the court may, on application by the nearest relative, presume death to have taken place. If, however, it can be shown that in all probability death had occurred in a certain acci... Ptomaines Or Cadaveric Alkaloids
Every medical man, before presenting himself to give evidence in a case of suspected poisoning, should make himself thoroughly acquainted with recent researches on the subject. Ptomaines are, for the most part, alkaloids generated during the proce... Rape
Rape is the carnal knowledge of a woman by force and against her will. The resistance of the woman must be to the utmost of her power, but if she yield through fear or duress it is still rape. The woman is a competent witness, but her statements m... Sale Of Poisons; Scheduled Poisons
The sale of poisons is regulated by various Acts, but chiefly by the Pharmacy Act, 1868, and by the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, 1908. Only registered medical practitioners and legally qualified druggists are permitted to dispense and sell scheduled ... Signs Of Death
(1) Cadaveric appearance; ashy white colour. (2) Cessation of the circulation and respiration, no sound being heard by the stethoscope. Cessation of the circulation may be determined by (a) placing a ligature round the base of a finger (Magnus' te... Sulphonal Trional Tetronal Veronal Paraldehyde
These are dangerous drugs. The ordinary symptoms of the group are noises in the ears, headache, vertigo, inability to stand or to walk properly, insensibility, and cyanosis. The most interesting point is the condition of the urine. In cases of ... Sulphuric Acid
=Sulphuric Acid=, or oil of vitriol, may be concentrated or diluted. It is frequently thrown over the person to disfigure the features or destroy the clothes. Parts of the body touched by it are stained, first white, and then dark brown or black. ... Superfoetation
By superfoetation is meant the conception, by a woman already pregnant, of a second embryo, resulting in the birth of two children at the same time, differing much in their degree of maturity, or in two separate births, with a considerable interva... Symptoms And Post-mortem Appearances Of Different Classes Of Poisons
Whilst recognizing the fact that toxic agents cannot be accurately classified, the following grouping may for descriptive purposes be admitted with the view of saving needless repetition: 1. =Corrosives.=--Characterized by their destructive acti... Tetrachlorethane Etc
=Tetrachlorethane= ('Cellon').--Acetylene tetrachloride; vapour has caused poisoning in aeroplane ('dope') and cinema film works. Symptoms.--Gastric symptoms and marked jaundice. This may be followed in days or weeks by stupor, coma, death. P... The Inebriates Acts
It is somewhat difficult to define an inebriate, but for the moment the following will suffice, and will ultimately, in all probability, be officially adopted: An inebriate is a person who habitually takes or uses any intoxicating thing or thin... The Mineral Acids
These are sulphuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acids. Symptoms of Poisoning by the Mineral Acids.--Acid taste in the mouth, with violent burning pain extending into the oesophagus and stomach, and commencing immediately on the poison being swallo... Tobacco And Lobelia
=Tobacco.=--Nicotiana tabacum owes its poisonous properties to its alkaloid nicotine, a volatile, oily, amber-coloured liquid, with an acrid taste and ethereal odour; soluble in water, alcohol, ether, and chloroform. The drug has an intense depres... Treatment Of Poisoning
The modes of treatment may be ranged under three heads: (1) To eliminate the poison; (2) to antagonize its action; (3) to avert the tendency to death. 1. The first indication is met by the administration of emetics, to produce vomiting, or by t... Unnatural Offences
Trials for =sodomy= and =bestiality= are common at the assizes, but, as they are rarely reported, they fail to attract attention. Sodomy is a crime both in the active and passive agent, unless the latter is a non-consenting party. The evidence of ... Vegetable Irritants
The chief vegetable purgatives are aloes, colocynth, gamboge, jalap, scammony, seeds of castor-oil plant, croton-oil, elaterium, the hellebores, and colchicum. All these have, either alone or combined, proved fatal. The active principle in aloes i... Viability Of Children
A child may be born alive, but may not be viable, by which is meant that it is not endowed with a capacity of maintaining its life. Speaking generally, 180 days represents the lowest limit at which a child is viable, but prolonged survival under t... Wounds And Mechanical Injuries
A wound may be defined as a 'breach of continuity in the structures of the body, whether external or internal, suddenly occasioned by mechanical violence.' The law does not define 'a wound,' but the true skin must be broken. Wounds are dangerous f... Wounds Of Various Parts Of The Body
1. =Of the Head.=--Wounds of the scalp are likely to be followed by (1) erysipelatous inflammation; (2) inflammation of the tendinous structures, with or without suppuration. A severe blow on the vertex may cause fracture of the base of the skull.... Zinc Silver Bismuth And Chromium
The salts of zinc requiring notice are the sulphate and chloride. =Sulphate of Zinc= has been taken in mistake for Epsom salts. In large doses it causes dryness of throat, thirst, vomiting, purging, and abdominal pain. Post-Mortem Appearances...