Eighth Day, 22nd May, 1856.
The Court met at ten o’clock.
Evidence for the Defence.
T. Nunneley
Mr. Thomas Nunneley, examined by Mr. Grove—I am a Fellow of the College of Surgeons, Professor of Surgery at the Leeds School of Medicine, and a member of several foreign and English scientific societies. I have been in practice between twenty and thirty years. I have seen cases of both traumatic and idiopathic tetanus. One of the four cases of idiopathic tetanus I have seen did not commence with the symptoms of lockjaw, nor did lockjaw occur sufficiently to prevent swallowing during the whole period of illness. I have been present during the evidence given here as to the symptoms of Mr. Cook. I had previously read the portions of the depositions as to the scientific and medical part of the case. Judging from the symptoms as described, and confining myself to the evidence as to the scientific part of the case, my opinion is that Mr. Cook died from some convulsive disease. I found that upon the difference of the symptoms described in the deposition and on the evidence before the Court.
Lord Campbell—This is not satisfactory; we cannot ask witnesses what faith they give to the evidence of the witnesses as contrasted with the depositions. This witness’s opinion ought to be founded on the viva voce evidence of the witnesses given during the trial.
Examination resumed—The previous state of health of Mr. Cook had some effect on my judgment.
State your own grounds in your own way for that opinion?—If I take the evidence which has occurred in Court—
By Lord Campbell—The evidence of the symptoms of John Parsons Cook as stated by the witnesses?—Not merely the symptoms, but the general state of health.