Thus was inhumanity shielded in its career; as if the life of a child might be sacrificed with impunity.
Case 3. The daughter of a respectable tradesman, in the parish of I—unknown to a part of her family, gave birth to an infant. At four months old, she introduced it for a short time amongst them, as belonging to somebody else. When about to leave home, she engaged another woman to carry it part of the road she was going, promising she would soon overtake her. On reaching the village of L—, a distance of four miles from whence she started, the woman looked at the infant attentively, and thought it was dying. Being alarmed, she entered the first public house she came to, imparted her suspicions, and on close examination, found her fear was not groundless, for the infant had ceased to exist. A coroner’s inquest was summoned, and evidence given that the parent had expressed other than a mother’s fondness for her child. Laudanum had been purchased the night previously, from a shopkeeper in the village by her order, and on receiving it, she tore off the label which denoted the deadly poison, and the phial was subsequently found emptied of its contents. Here apparently a link in the chain of evidence was broken. Two medical gentlemen who made a post mortem examination of the body, deposed that laudanum had been administered to the child, but they were not prepared to say in sufficient quantity to cause death. [28]
A verdict under the coroner’s direction, was recorded that the child died by the visitation of God; but material evidence from other witnesses was withheld, which might have unveiled the mystery surrounding the death of the innocent, and the strongly suspected parties might have been brought to justice.
It is generally known, sooner or later, to habitual drunkards, that too much indulgence in strong beverages, particularly spirituous liquours, is followed by becoming more and more susceptible to their intoxicating effects, although partaken of in smaller quantities. This is owing to established facts; the liver becomes diseased, the nervous system becomes shattered, the brain itself participates in the mischief, so that reason losing its sway in the earlier period becomes permanently injured, and either madness or imbecility; premature age, or organic disease are the inevitable consequences. From the cradle to the grave, a predisposition to decay exists in every one which would far more frequently lie latent, until Old Mortality could no longer stay, did not this, the most disgraceful of all-exciting causes, thus step in and cut the thread of life when least expected, and probably least prepared.
Such was the case with a schoolmaster, who when living, resided in the village of H—. He prematurely suffered from Idiopathic irritation of the bladder, for on carefully sounding him, no stone could be detected, and therefore it was conceived, that inflammatory action in that viscus existed, which accompanied with pain at intervals, especially during the night annoyed him exceedingly. Disease advancing, he consulted a general practitioner in the neighbourhood, and subsequently other medical men, among them an eminent physician in Norwich. But the obstinacy of the disease soon caused his confidence to be shaken, and fearing the result, he yielded to the foolish solicitation of meddling acquaintance, who persuaded him to consult a notorious quack. Complying with their wish, he followed the advice given by the remorseless pretender to knowledge in disease, and applied bullock’s milts to the feet, partook of stimulants (ammonia and spirits of turpentine) in the day, with brandy and laudanum at night; on taking only two doses of the former, his anguish increased considerably, which became partially allayed by the laudanum, but no sleep succeeded—the expression “the complaint has flown upwards,” escaped the lips of the dying man, and delirium closed the scene.
To consult the accelerator of his death—the iniquitous quack—he undertook a journey of forty miles, only four days previously; and although the disease might eventually have killed him, still his condition was good, emaciation had made but little progress, and his appetite continued excellent. From taking stimulants, the gradual decay of nature was denied him. His agony was such, that in cases like his, an Infinite and Merciful Being has wisely ordained that collapse should take place, that the nervous system should receive a lasting shock, and thus was the schoolmaster the victim of credulity, relieved of his earthly pilgrimage.
Such a sudden termination in the death of this unfortunate being naturally aroused the attention of the neighbours. A coroner’s inquest was summoned, and the gentleman in office proceeded to his duty; but the cause of death not being ascertained to the mutual understanding of himself and jury, an adjournment took place. In this instance, though informed that a general practitioner in the neighbourhood attended the schoolmaster in the earlier period of his illness, yet the coroner neglected to call him as evidence, but observed to the jury he should take the phials left in the possession of the friends of the deceased, to have the contents analyzed. Returning homewards, he called on a medical gentlemen, stated his mission, and requested he would on a day named, attend and give evidence. This was assented to, and on the investigation being resumed, the question put to the witness was “What is the nature of the disease, and the cause of death?” he replied, “He could not tell, as he had not been consulted by the deceased during his illness, but he believed the medicine prescribed was harmless—would neither kill nor cure—although he did not approve of the treatment.”
Here the coroner rested satisfied with this superficial enquiry in search of truth, and addressing a readily assenting jury, advised a verdict should be recorded that the deceased died by the “Visitation of God;” and thus was suffered to escape, one of the finest opportunities to expose and punish the unpardonable vanity of a dabbler in physic, who openly, yet certainly, disclosed the fact that he and his fraternity are allowed to deprive with impunity the lives of the weak minded, the most to be pitied among Her Majesty’s subjects.
Case 5. The last example necessary to quote at present, more recently occurred in a village in the county of Norfolk, which requires peculiar notice and consideration, owing to the respectability of persons connected with the affair.
Reports of an extraordinary character had been in circulation several weeks before the event transpired; and this enquiry actually rested on what is termed in medical language Mala Praxis. [32]