Mr. Serjeant Shee called the attention of the witness to a passage in Orfila’s work in reference to that case, to the effect that the antimony was found accumulating in the bones, the liver contained a great deal, and the tissues a very little.
Witness.—“Yes; when antimony has been long in the body it passes into the bones; but I think you will find that these are not Orfila’s experiments. Orfila is quoting the experiments of another person.”[49]
Question.—“But is not that the case with nearly all the experiments referred to in your own book?”
Answer.—“No; I cannot say that.”
Mr. Serjeant Shee again referred to a case in Orfila in which forty-five grains were given to a dog, and three and a half months after death a quantity was found in the fat, and some in the liver, bones, and tissues.
Witness.—“That shows that antimony gets into the bones and flesh, but I never knew a case in which forty-five grains had been given to a human being in ten days, and I have given no opinion upon such a case.”
Question.—“A pretty good dose is required to poison a person, I suppose?”
Answer.—“That depends on the mode in which it is given. A dog has been poisoned with six grains. The dog died in the case you mentioned. When antimony is administered as it was in that case the liver becomes fatty and gristled. Cook’s liver presented no appearance of the sort. I should infer that the antimony we found in Cook’s body was given much more recently than in the experiments you have described. We cannot say positively how long it takes to get out of the body, but I have known three grains cleared out in twenty-four hours. I was first applied to in this case on Thursday, the 27th of November, by Mr. Stevens, who was introduced to me by Mr. Warrington, professor of chemistry. Either then or subsequently he mentioned Mr. Gardner. I had not known Mr. Gardner before. I had never before been concerned in cases of this kind at Rugeley.”
Mr. Serjeant Shee read the letter written by Dr. Taylor to Mr. Gardner:
“Chemical Laboratory, Guy’s Hospital,