[143] Evidence of James Struthers. Registrar of Deaths for the Blythswood district of Glasgow.
[144] According to Mary Patterson, Mrs. Taylor was in the kitchen about 7 p.m., as well as usual, only appearing a little peevish in consequence of her night-watching. Mary McLeod met her going up stairs from the consulting-room about nine o’clock, and in a short time her bell rang, and she found her in her daughter’s bedroom asking for hot water to make her vomit, when she desired her to go for the doctor.
[145] See evidence, ante, p. 414 (note), of McLeod and Paterson, as to her health and actions during the evening before her seizure.
[146] It was with reference to this visit that Paterson afterwards expressed his opinion, that, but for the accident of meeting Pritchard, he would not have been asked to visit his wife. This was severely commented on by Mr. R. Clark as showing the ill-feeling towards the prisoner which was imputed to the witness.
[147] It was proved that he kept large quantities of antimony, poisons, and other drugs in his consulting-room, though no chlorodyne.—Evidence of McCall, Dr. Penny, McHattie, Foulger, and Kerr.
[148] In a letter to his father-in-law on the 3rd of March, Pritchard wrote: “I am very much fatigued with being up with dear Mary Jane, who was very much worse yesterday, and passed a wretched night. Wednesday has been a periodic day with her during this illness, and she always dreads it. Her prostration is extreme, and her appetite quite failed. Dr. Paterson has recommended Dublin stout and some very simple medicine.”—Evidence of Mr. Taylor. Second day.
[149] On Dr. Paterson’s evident feeling against the prisoner, the Lord Justice Clerk made the following remarks: “It is said that he exhibited a strong feeling against the prisoner; no human being could feel otherwise if he had formed the impression that Mrs. Pritchard was being poisoned in the hands of her husband, her medical attendant. It is said that he exhibited this feeling in a marked unpleasant manner in the box. That is a matter of manner, and, if the feeling existed, I do not know that he could have made his evidence really more valuable if he had concealed the existence of it. It may be an unpleasant thing to see what is called an animus in a witness exhibited in the witness-box. If he has a feeling strong upon him, and that on good ground, he may come into the box and entirely suppress all appearance of it, because he has more command of his feeling, or a better manner of concealing it. The fact remains, that if he takes up the position I have described, he cannot, as a man of ordinary feeling, feel otherwise than unfavourably prepossessed against the prisoner.” Again, on his concealment of his suspicions, the Judge said: “Now, he thought it consistent with his professional duty—and I must also add with his duty as a citizen of this country—to keep this opinion to himself. In that I cannot say he did right. I should be very sorry to lead you to think so. I care not for professional etiquette, or professional rule. There is a rule of life and a consideration far higher than these—the duty that every citizen of this country, that every right-minded man owes to his neighbour—to prevent the destruction of human life in this world, and in that duty I cannot but say that Dr. Paterson has failed. Now you will consider what effect that is to have, or whether it is to have any effect on your minds. It is a very painful subject—a subject which I would fain avoid, but the exigencies of this case drive me to its consideration—and I am bound to say that, because a man is so mistaken in regard to his duty to his fellow-citizens, and his fellow-creatures, it by no means follows that he is undeserving of credit as a witness. You may con sider his evidence always in the light of that failing; if you can see reason to modify anything that he says, because of the existence of that failing, it is your bounden duty to do that.”—Charge of the Lord Justice Clerk. Fifth day.
[150] From Western Branch of Glasgow Apothecaries’ Company, September 19, 1864, 10 grains strychnia; November 4, ½ oz. tincture conii (Hemlock); November 16, 1 oz. laudanum, 1 oz. tartar emetic; November 24, 1 oz. tincture aconite; December 8, 1 oz. tincture (Fleming’s) aconite; December 9, 1 oz. tincture conii. 1865: February 4, 1 oz. tincture conii; February 7, 1 oz. tartarised antimony, 1 oz. tincture of aconite; February 9, 1 oz. tincture of aconite; February 11, 1 oz. tincture of digitalis; February 18, 2 oz. tincture conii (all sold by the manager, J. Campbell); November 24, 1 oz. tincture of aconite; December 9, 1 oz. tincture conii; February 4, 1865, 1 oz. tincture conii (sold by the assistant). Fleming’s tincture of aconite is six times stronger than the ordinary tincture.—Evidence of J. Campbell. From John Currie, chemist in Glasgow:—1865: February 18, 2 oz. solution of morphia and 1 oz. of Fleming’s tincture of aconite; March 8, solution of atropine, 1 drachm, with 2 grains of atropia to a drachm; March 13, ½ oz. of Fleming’s tincture of aconite; March 14, solution of atropine, 1 drachm, with 2 grains to a drachm; March 16, solution of atropine, 1 drachm, with 5 grains to a drachm.—Evidence of John Currie. Chloroform from July 13 to December 9, 1864, 132 oz.—J. Campbell. This witness said that 2 oz. of tartarised antimony and about 1 to 2 ozs. of Fleming’s tincture would cover the whole of their sales for a year, and that the chloroform was also in excess of usual sale to one person. For the defence it was proved that as much as 80 oz. of Fleming’s tincture was sold by them within a year.—Evidence of John Simpson, of Duncan, Flockhart & Co., of North Bridge, Glasgow. And from 2 to 3 oz. of tartar emetic, besides larger quantities to veterinary surgeons.—Thomas Fairgreive, chemist, of Edinburgh.
[151] Evidence of Alexander McCall, superintendent of Glasgow Police, and John Murray, an officer of the Sheriff—third day; and reports of analyses by Professor Frederick Penny, same day. Another specimen of tapioca, bought direct from Barton and Henderson, had no antimony in it—Same witness.
[152] In reply to the Judge, the witness said that to take 7 grains of Fleming’s tincture Mrs. Taylor must have taken 100 drops of the poisoned Battley in a single dose, equal to a teaspoonful; that 100 drops would not be an unusual amount to a person accustomed to the use of it in moderation, and that many opium eaters would not thank you for 100 drops. Aconite might be given in divided doses, and not prove fatal, though the same quantity was taken, the distressing effect of one dose going off before the other was taken.