Do you know that he sat up in bed and rang the bell, and it was not till Palmer had been and had gone back and brought the pills that the convulsions came on?--Yes, I do; and I have noticed in animals that the mere touch sends them into convulsions, and they show an indisposition to move.
In the case of the lady who died near Romsey, did you hear what the maid said, that she discovered, when her mistress’ bell rang violently, that she had got out of bed and was sitting on the floor?--It struck me as inconsistent with what I have seen. I have no doubt that was a death from strychnia.
If that evidence be true, and it is a fact that she got up and rang her bell, does not that shake your faith?--No, it does not. You must compare it with what I have seen. Both are irreconcilable with what I have seen.
Speaking of the Tuesday night, with the exception of the ringing of the bell, and that in this case it was an hour or an hour and a half after the supposed administration of the poison, can you point to anything to distinguish the symptoms and death of Mr. Cook from death by tetanus of strychnia?--No, I cannot. It is inconsistent with what I have seen, but it is not inconsistent with what I have heard in the case of Mrs. Smyth.
Is not one of the symptoms hard breathing?--It is a panting respiration. It is excitement of the breathing rather than difficulty. It is in the convulsions that there is a difficulty of breathing. If a man were to breathe hardly it is a position naturally assumed for him to sit up. Until the convulsion of the muscles comes on there is nothing to prevent the patient sitting up.
If I understand you, if I except the delay and the fact of his sitting up in bed and crying for help on the Tuesday, is there anything to distinguish the convulsions under which this man suffered and died from the convulsions of tetanus of strychnia?--It is not perfectly consistent with strychnia, because I say that the account which is given of Mrs. Smyth is what I cannot reconcile with what I have before observed.
With regard to the abrupt termination instead of the gradual subsidence?--I have observed the gradual subsidence in man as well as in animals.
In the case of the man--what dose had he taken?--Nearly a grain and a half.