Witness.—“It is a description of at least one symptom of jaundice, yellowness of the skin; but it is rather strange that it does not mention the most common of all signs of jaundice, yellowness of the eyes. One looks to the eye first in a case of jaundice, because you see it best there.”
The Dean.—“Do you think that a sensation of choking and a feeling of irritation of the throat are symptoms of arsenical poisoning?”
Witness.—“Certainly.”
The Dean.—“Would that occur in a case of British cholera?”
Witness.—“I have seen persons who are affected with choleraic symptoms complaining of being sore about the throat, but it is generally the soreness arising from what they first vomit, and after that it is the muscular soreness.”
Cross-examined by the Lord Advocate.—“What is it that causes the yellow outline of the eyes and skin?”
Witness.—“The absorption of the choleraic matter into the blood.”
Lord Advocate.—“I presume there is nothing in a case of arsenical poisoning that produces that?”
Witness.—“It is certainly very remarkable that we have so many cases of arsenical poisoning where the jaundice shows itself: we have eruption of those same parts of the duodenum according with arsenical poisoning. I am not so certain that jaundice is a symptom of arsenical poisoning.”
The Lord Justice Clerk.—“But if you saw the appearance of the eye was much darker than usual, would that lead you to think there might be jaundice?”