{ title: 'The corrector. (Auburn, N.Y.) 1839-18??, May 01, 1839, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn89071059/1839-05-01/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn89071059/1839-05-01/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn89071059/1839-05-01/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn89071059/1839-05-01/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
Image provided by: New York State Library
T O T H E P U B L I C - think they might have produced conges- Occurrences o f the last few weeks with tion o f the brain, still think the congestion which -my name is somewhat intimately o f the brain that did exist was not produc- connected, induce me to make the follow- ed by the injuries on the head, in* communication. That the recent «n- .On the question, whether confusions and warrantable attempt to render an acciden- their consequent Ecckymosis (effusion o f ml excitement available in furthering sel- blond) can be produced after death ? Dr. f i s h v i e w s at the expense o f individual rep- Chrislison, has by investigation and ex- utation, is extremely annoying would be periment deduced the following conclu- aff'ectation to deny; but to prefer any sions: “ F o r som e hours after death, grievances at this time would be folly, and blows will cause appearances which in to silently succumb to it, cowardice.— point o f color do not differ from the effects Therefore I make this dispassionate state- o f blows inflicted recently before death, merit with truth for its only rerommenda- Thus, severe blows a fter death w ill exactly lion, respectfully asking a perusal and im itate slight contusions inflicted during lea vim’ the reader to make his own con- life. And when the blow during life is se- elusion, relying with confidence “ on the vere it is dis'inguisbed on the dead subject second sober thought” o f this community by stoclling f r o m Ihe exlent o f exlravasa to do me justice or at least to do m e no tion —a yellow margin around the black further injustice. W hen we reflect on the mark— effusion o f blood into the cellular peculiar position o f the jury and witness- tissue and an incorporation o f blood with es in the late inquest—surrounded by a the whole true skin rendering i i black and deeply excited populace expecting, aye, increasing Us'firmness and resistance*’— demanding , a revelation o f “ barbarities D r. Beck says the natural result is to corn- sufficient,” in the classical language of one municate a color more or less livid to the of the principal agitators, “ /o chill the skin. D r . Humphreys saw no external ' nerves o f e v e r y person not devoid o f hu- marks o f violence on the head ; and Dr. inanity.” M en o f wealth and consequent- Hamilton swears that the skin over the ly. influence, predicting without remedy, blows appeared h ealthy. my professional destruction from the death John Stringer was tried at the Lent as of the unfortunate subject, and all breath- sizes held at Kingston in the county of inn an atmosphere o f concentrated preju- Surry in the year 1763, before the late dice, is it strange <hat they should not be chief Baron Smythe, for the murder o f more or less tainted with its unfavorable his wife, and found guilty. It appeared influence, and arrive at conclusions that their more sober judgments would, not found in the ventricles, must strike all who have ever read a description o f the brain, or seen one dissected, as very unsatisfac lory; inasmuch as they will recollect that from the foifnation of those cavities, the least appreciable quantity o f fluid “ fil or as nearly fill” them as several pints, the actual amount o f water sometimes found there. But it is not the mere presence of iiess and in many instances uncertnl riIy“o1r ~mTiae^rie'^jipturance3T(^lrlhartm c a a o H ifc • # C t. O* 1 , 1 » , _ • - 11 * • medical science afford too ample facilities for the petty censoriousness and invidious sentiment o f jealou9 members o f that m o s t jealous profession. T o this unfortunate circumstance may he referred the unceas ing sarcasm and ridicule that has ever been r» directed towards it from its earliest history to the present day. On this is also predi cated that wholesome regulation adopted in the Scottish code, where physicians are examined on medical opinion apart from each other. T h e reason alledged is, “ that it has been found by experience, that med ical men even of experience aud informa tion, are generally s o prone to contradict each other or adhere to the side on which they a re cited , that it is never safe to let them hear each other's testimony.” Far be it from me to make any special applica tion o f the foregoing remarks. I improve this occasion for tendering my acknowl edgments to the medical and other wit nesses for their courtesy. I shall proceed by collating the testi mony o f the different medical witnesses in this case and the most approved medical writers on the same points: 1 st. Dr. Humphreys testifies to the ex- travasated blood discovered at two differ- ent points under the scslp— thinks they were occasioned by a blow or ai fall, but does not express an opinion a9 to their oc currence before or after death. Dr. Ham ilton observed the same and thought they must have been produced by external vio lence som e number o f days before death— Skin over them appeared healthy — Both that they had frequently quarreled, and a young surgeon g a ve it as his opinion that some appearances in Ihe corpse were some■ a certain quantity o f water in the brain that gives riifp always to the sym p tom s o f Hydrocephalus (Dropsy o f the- head.) W e have se^n a disease go through all the symptoms q f Hydrocephalus, and termin ate fatally ivithout any effusion. Aber- combie. The assertions o f Dr. David Dirnon, that there appeared no disease in the bead and that the membranes and sub stance o f the brain were o f natural color and consistence, is a point that admits of no d iscu s s ioi T h e evidences o f d erange ment o f tW&rain were s o perfectly cogni zable by theAenses and s o clearly describ ed by the othpr witnesses, that an addition- a c a se in which he found, on dissection, the whole vascular System o f the brain e x tremely engorged with fluid blood. D r . Jam es Johnson, in commenting on this case, ob s e r v e s :— “ That apoplexy is fre quently produced by turgescence o f the vessels alone, was believed in ancient times a s well as in modern It is, indeed, reasonable to suppose, that in the majority o f apoplectic recoveries, congestion only had taken place in the v e s s e ls o f the brain. But i f congestion gives rise to the m ost favorable c a s e s , it appears capable o f p r o ducing the most desperate and insiaiUhhe- opsly f a t a l ones also. M edieo Chir. Rev. June 1820, p. 9. 3d. They then proceed to the chest.—* Dr. Humphreys “ discoters that the right lobe o f the Jungs adhered extensively to the membrane lining the chest.— T h e greater portion of the adhesion seem e d o f long 'standing. T h e remaining portions seem ed to have adhered more recently, and were more easily separated. vww.ry ov^aitttCU* T h e al word on that point would be superoga left lobe also adhered quite extensively, tory. A s to Dr. Van E p s' immediate but not so much so as the right— Both cause o f thttWater found in the brain— the highly gorged (engorged) with blood and remote cause o f death —I regret to say, filled with tubercles. Dr. David Ditfion that after a patient research and enquiry, I found the “ lungs filled with tubercles, ad- find that thit important pathological fact herent to the chest, o f a dark red color, has been heretofore entirely overlooked solid consistence, in second Stage o f a cute T h d Doct. iholds undisputed right to the infiammalion, called H e p a tization. Heptt- discovery. T r u e , intestinal irritation (from tization differs from engorgement. B n - worms generally) is som etim es included gorgem ent takes place in the air eella o f among the enumerated causes o f Hydro- the lungs. Hepatization takes place in cephaius in children. And Dr. Spurz- the substance o f the lungs, by the blood heim admit; that the : casiontd b y bruises. Mr. Carsan an emi nent surgeon in the neighborhood, had, on the report o f the murder, from mere curi osity, examined the body and It w a s so clear that there were no marks o f v iolence thereon, that he had not the least appre hension o f the possibility o f Si ringers con viction; but hearing o f it, he stated the case to the Archbishop o f Canterbury, ob tained a respite from Baron Sm ythe, and finally was the means o f obtaining a com plete pardon from the King. (From Phil lip's L a w o f E v idence.) 2d. D r . Humphreys c o n tinues: “ W e then removed the scull cap—Found the vessels in a state o f congestion or preter natural fulness— Full o f blood, more so than usual— could not tell what produced it. This appearance was more particular ly under'the places described where extra vasated blood was found over the scull— W e found the ventricles of the brain filled with water, or nearly s o ; the internal ves sels rather congested otherwise natural and healthy. Thinks there was not suffi cient d isease in the brain to produce death.” D r . David Dim o n , “ Saw no decided dis ease in the brain— Membranes and sub stances o f the brain o f natural color and consistence— D o e s not think he died o f any congestion o f blood on the brain.”— Dr. Van E p s. “ Thinks the immediate cause o f death was water on the brain pro duced by d isease o f the lungs and bowels.” D r . Hamilton “ thinks there was disease enough in the head to produce death.”— Dr. Humphreys' measure o f the water c e s o f the abdom en are cerebral disdase. ea waier.\ J J r . W e a - convinced mi” he Says, “ that in the great- ver “ saw tubercles in^tKelungs. Tuber- er number of cases the morbid appearan- cles are (he c a u se o f inflammation in roa* secondary o f the ny instances, when the lungs are studded with them. T h e tubercles could not be That the congested state or prefer- cured. But if is often (he case that pa- natural fulnfcss o f the vessels— full o f tients live a long time with tdbercles like blood more so than usual” exhibited by these.” Dr. Van Eps “ thinks there was the removal o f .the scull cap, s o faithfully sufficient disease o f the lungs and bowels described by D r . Hum p h reys, and the to produce the water in the brain, and that consequent pressure on the brain are suf- the water produced death.” T h is tesfi- ficient for producing all the peculiar symp- mony I have already considered m the 9d. toms o f apoplexy without the adventitious division. Dr. Hamilton “ notices disease agency o f Uje watery effusion in the ven- in the lungs and bowels, sufficient ho tricles, is established by abuudant testi- thinks to have produced death soon.”— mony fiom dm m ost unquestionable sour- D o c t. Baillie says there is no morbid &p- a part e f which follow s: T h a t such pearance in the lungs s o common a s tuber- vascular engorgements and consequent cles. Morb. Anat. p. 36. \ On exaniin- pressure on the brain is capable o f produ- ing the bodies o f young children I httve cing all the peculiar symptoms o f apo- som etim es found tubercles, or (he germ s plexy, admits o f no doubt. In som e in- o f tubercles in the lungs, where no signs stances o f fatal apoplexy, the vessels o f o f pectoral diseases had previously existed. the brain are found so much engorged with And I have met with them likewise in adult blood, as to render evpn the sm a llesl lungs where there had been ho sufficient branches conspicuous and to give a more grounds for suspecting fhem (luring life. or less deep red tint to certain portions o f In many c a s e s tubercles o f the lungs re- the ceretral mass, without any sanguine- main long latent before the evidence o f ous or serous effusions. (Portal) Richter the disease becom es strikingly manifest.” says, that an extremely congested state o f Armstrong on Phthisis. •“ Adhesions,” he cerebral vessels is som etim es the only says D r. Baillie, “are often found between morbid condition visible within the head, that portion o f Ihe pleurh ivhich covers Brichteau al$p observes, “ that » e often the lungs and that other portion o f it which find a general turgescence o f the cerebral lines the ribs and intercostal spaces, while vessels, which congestion causes a gen- there is no sign whatever o f present in- eral pressure on the encephalic mass, suf- Summation. These adhesions arfe often ficient to extinguish the nervous influence, partial but they som etim es extend over the- ------------------- » i uui m e y som etim es extend over the and destroy H.’e .” M o rgtgtu has related I whole cavity and are perhaps the m est
