On May 6th there was less vomiting, but otherwise the condition was the same, and Fowler’s solution ordered, but only a quantity equal to 1⁄300 grain was actually taken.

May 7th the condition was improved, but there was no increase of power. Dr. W. Carter was called in consultation. The vomiting was passing away, and diarrhœa commencing. The throat was red, dry, and glazed; there were incessant attempts to cough up an imaginary hair. No cramps, no pain in the stomach or intestines, nor conjunctivitis. On this day the first direct evidence of diarrhœa is recorded, the medical men actually seeing a loose motion. The result of the consultation was that Mr. Maybrick must have taken some irritant in his food or drink.

On the 8th a professional nurse took charge. During the 8th and 9th severe tenesmus set in with diarrhœa, and blood was observed in the fæces. Now arsenic was suspected, the urine was examined by Dr. Humphreys, and a rough analysis was made of some Neaves’ food which the patient had been taking.

The patient died on the 10th, at 8.30 P.M.

The post-mortem appearances were as follows:—

The tongue was dark, the top of the gullet slightly red, but otherwise healthy, save at the lower end, where the mucous membrane was gelatinous, and was dotted over with black dots, like frogs’ spawn.

There was a small shallow ulcer in the mucous membrane of the larynx at the back of the epiglottis. The free margin of the epiglottis was rough and eroded; and on the posterior aspect of the ericoid cartilage there were two small red patches. In the stomach were from 5-6 ozs. of brownish fluid. At the cardiac end there was a large vermilion-red patch, interspersed here and there with small dark ecchymoses (spoken of by Dr. Humphreys as a flea-bitten appearance); to this followed a non-inflamed space, and near the pyloric orifice, and extending 2 inches from it, was another red inflamed portion of mucous membrane. In the small intestine the mucous membrane was red and inflamed, from 3 inches below the pylorus to about 3 feet downwards. About 18 or 20 feet lower down, i.e., a little below the ileo-cæcal valve, the mucous membrane was again inflamed to a lesser extent over a space of about 2 feet; the lower end of the rectum was also red and inflamed. No arsenic was found in the stomach or its contents, or in the spleen. Arsenic was present in the liver, in the intestines, and in the kidneys. The quantity separated altogether amounted to over 0·1 grain. The liver weighed 48 ozs., and from 12 ozs. of the liver 0·076 grain of arsenic, reckoned as As2O3, was separated.

The whole course of the symptoms and the post-mortem examination showed that the deceased died from an irritant poison; and from the fact of a small quantity of arsenic having been found in the body, there can be little doubt but that the poison was arsenic. The symptoms were somewhat anomalous, but not more so than in other recorded cases of undoubted arsenical poisoning. The facts that tended to connect the accused with the death were as follows:—On the night of either May 9th or the 10th Mrs. Maybrick was observed to remove from the table an opened bottle of Valentine’s meat juice, and take it into an inner dressing-room, and then replace it—the acts being surreptitious. In replacing it, she was observed to take it either from the pocket of her dressing-gown or from an inner pocket. The lining of this pocket was found to be impregnated with As2O3. The juice was found to contain 0·5 grain As2O3, and the liquid was of lower gravity than commercial juice; it had probably, therefore, been diluted.

The following is a list of things containing arsenic:—

  1. Mrs. Maybrick’s dressing-gown.
  2. Mrs. Ma„brick’s apron.
  3. A handkerchief wrapped around a bottle.
  4. Packet of arsenic “for cats.” (Arsenious acid mixed with charcoal.) Tumbler containing milk, with handkerchief soaking in it; at least 20 grains of As2O3 in the tumbler mixed with charcoal.
  5. A portion of a handkerchief.
  6. A bottle containing a strong solution of arsenious acid and several grains of undissolved arsenious acid.
  7. A bottle containing from 15-20 grains of solid arsenic and a few drops of solution.
  8. A saturated solution of arsenious acid and some solid arsenious acid.
  9. Valentine’s meat juice.
  10. Price’s glycerin; 2⁄3 grain in the whole bottle.
  11. A bottle containing 0·1 grain of arsenious acid.
  12. A bottle from Mr. Maybrick’s office containing a few drops of medicine prescribed by Dr. Fuller (decidedly arsenical).
  13. Jug from the office with remains of food.
  14. Sediment from trap of w.c. and lavatory drain containing As2O3.