Babington—I am a surgeon.
Cowper—Because Mr. Jones called you doctor.
Hatsell, Baron—Did you ever see any drowned bodies?
Babington—Yes, my lord, once I had a gentlewoman a patient that was half an hour under water, and she lived several hours after, and in all that time she discharged a great quantity of water; I never heard of any that went alive into the water, and were drowned, that floated so soon as this gentlewoman did; I have heard so from physicians.
Hatsell, Baron—I have heard so too, and that they are forced to tye a bullet to dead bodies thrown into the sea, that they might not rise again.
Cowper—The reason of that is, that they should not rise again, not that they will not sink without it. But I would ask Mr. Babington, whether the gentlewoman he speaks of went into the water voluntarily, or fell in by accident?
Babington—By accident, but I believe that does not alter the case.
Dr. Burnet was called, and expressed an opinion that if a person jumped into the water or fell in by accident they would swallow and inhale water as long as they were alive, but not afterwards; and that they would sink.
Dr. Woodhouse expressed the same opinion. If a person had swallowed water in drowning, signs of it would be visible some time afterwards.
Jones—Call Edward Clement. (Who was sworn.) Are not you a seaman?