Page:Medical jurisprudence (IA medicaljurisprud03pari).pdf/491

 Q. And from your knowledge of the effects produced by laurel water, your opinion is that laurel-water was the poison thus administered to Sir Theodosius Boughton?

A. It is. Dr. Rutty relates a case of a girl of eighteen years of age and in perfect health, who took a quantity, less than two spoons full of the first runnings of simple water of laurel leaves; whereupon within half a minute she fell down, was convulsed, foamed at the mouth, and died in a short time.

Q. Could those effects be produced (speak from your own judgment) by laurel-water?

A. I have no doubt of it. Dogs and other quadrupeds (as we are informed) that take it, fall immediately into totterings and convulsions of the limbs, which are presently followed by a total paralysis; these convulsions, with some additional circumstances, as foaming at the mouth and loss of sense, constitute the epilepsy which is described among the effects of vegetable poisons.

Dr. Parsons cross-examined by Mr. Newnham.

Q. From the appearances of health in Sir Theodosius Boughton, and from the medicine not having occasioned any bad symptoms before, you conclude his death was occasioned by some other medicine substituted instead of that or in addition to it?

A. Most certainly; especially as the smell of it bespoke its having received the addition of a very poisonous ingredient.

Q. Have you never known instances of persons being taken suddenly when engaged in pleasure or business, or at dinner, dying convulsed, epileptick, or apoplectick?

A. I have; but those who die suddenly of apoplexy are generally persons of a full habit; and who are neither so thin nor so young as Sir Theodosius Boughton.

Q. Have you never known instances of persons of a thin habit being attacked by an apoplexy or an epilepsy?

A. By epilepsy they may.

Q. Have you never heard of a person having the appearance of perfect health being seized with an epilepsy without