November 19, 1896.].
FINAL
YACHT RACE,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Badeley beat Mr. E. Ormiston by before, coming from Maruya's, and she said and 5 to play.
"I must tell Dr. Wheeler about this poison." **
I am not quoting her exact words: I cannot. Mr. C A. Tomes beat Mr. F. J. Badeley by She said, "If we do not speak now it will
2 up and 1 to play..
be on our consciences all our life should Mr. Carew die." I dissuaded her from her view and said such an awful suspicion I could not for a moment believe; but she was so im portunate that upon walking up the hill to the funeral of Mr. Boag I decided as guardedly as I could to warn Dr. Wheeler-to tell him. I particularly wished him to go and see Miss Jacob himself, which he has stated in his evidence.
The first yacht race of the season was decided on Sunday, the first class boats being placed in the following order.-
Mr. Denison's Erica Royal Engineer's Sybil ..... Mr. T. W. Lammert's Meteor Hon. F. H. May's Phabe
1
3
6
Mr. J. Hastings' Maid Marian Hon. H. E. Pollock's Active... Mr. C. A. Tomes's Chanticler In the second class Mr. E. M. Hazeland's The won easily.
HONGKONG VOLUNTEER CORPs.
The fourth shoot for the rifle presented by Captain McCallum to the Field Battery took place on the 7th Nov. There was a very strong wind and a nasty glare, in consequence of which the scores were under the average. Sergeant McPhail was again the winner, putting on a possible" at 400 yards. The best scores were as under-
Sergeant McPhail... Gunner Gow Sergeant Wylie
Sergeant Hayward Gunner Deas...
200 400 500 Total. 29 35 28 92 23 31 29 83 29 28 22 79 26 25 24 75 26 28 20 74
THE YOKOHAMA POISONING
CASE.
The inquiry into the circumstances attending the death of the late Mr. J. C. Carew was re- sumed in the British Court, Yokohama, by Mr. Hall, on 2nd November, Messrs. Lowder and Walford appeared on behalf of Mrs. Carew, who sat between them. Mr. Litchfield, the Crown Prosecutor, was also present and with him Mr. Uchiyama Rosetsu.
Mr. Lowder applied for Mrs. Carew to be recalled before other witnesses were heard to. supplement her previous testimony.
Dr. Munro sáid he had prescribed for the deceased in 1893, as Mrs. Carew stated; but he did not prescribe arsenic. He had a strong impression that Mr. Carew then told him be had occasionally taken arsenic to relieve him of pain-perhaps to keep off malaria. Stricture was frequently aggravated by malarial attacks; except in this indirect way arsenic would have no effect upon stricture.
A shopman at Maruya's was called and examined. He said he sold arsenic to a foreigner on October 19th, 20th, and 21st. On the first occasion he supplied one ounce he believed it was to Mrs. Carew-also a bottle of sugar of lead. He enquired what she wanted the poison for and was told it was for external application. The buyer wrote ont what she wanted at the shop; he tore up the paper when the medicines were paid for next day. Witness failed to identify Mrs. Carew as the lady in question, but said he recollected her as having heen to the shop. At any rate the words "Mrs. Carew" were on the paper she left on the 19th. On the 20th a "boy" came with a paper asking for more arsenic and Miss Jacobs brought a similar order-except that sugar of lead was added on the 21st. He admitted that in sell ing these medicines he had broken the regula- tions. He had not previously supplied any to Mr. or Mrs. Carew; he had heard the former had said that he was taking enough poison to kill any one else.
Dr. Baelz said Mr. Carew had consulted him about a year ago and he had prescribed for him; there was no arsenic in the prescription, and no sugar of lead.
8 Bolut
our
bus dose
388
is sufficient to cause death arsenic it is difficult to speak but if we judge from the white arsenio which is the poisonous dose is half an Were, this, however, taken under conditions, somewhat less might be effective. According to what I have said, the ratio tween the medicinal dose and poiso is roughly 1 to 30 as the smallest. Judging cases we may say that 1 to 60 would be very likely the ratio. Arsenic is used as medicine in various diseases, of which in connection with this case it seems necessary to mention only. two. It is used often with very great effect in minute doses in the treatment of neuralgia (particularly pains in the stomach), oyi heart burn, sick headache, and in those where the illness seems to be due to malaria malaria, more especially, of tropical climates in producing marked fever, but of an obscure character, actually determined frequently by the medical practitioner by the effect of arsenio in giving relief. Persons who suffer from what is popularly called "liver", suffer, also from stomach troubles and it therefore will seem natural enough that the deceased may have learnt from a medical practitioner the use of arsenic in allaying such symptoms. These.... are the suggestions that come before me and I place them before the Court accordingly. The difficulty in supposing this to be the case, unless there is circumstantial evidence, is that if the deceased found relief by treating himself for liver he would not be consulting his medical attendant for this disease. If he consults his medical attendant whenever he suffers from s fit of liver it would seem that he has no such remedy as arsenic. with which he relieves him-. self. Arsenic also proves more or less useful in the treatment of spasmodic diseases, and it is quite possible that it would prove useful in relieving diseases caused by a stricture of the urinary passages, but I know of no medical record of any such use of arsenic, and so it is only a supposition, but if it did happen that arsenic has been thought of by some medical practitioner and found useful in the case of this disease it is highly probable that that fact would have become known, because medical practi- tioners usually put in medical journals any novel case of treatment. The fact, therefore, that it is not recorded makes one slow to think that the ailments of the deceased will have been treated by arsenic, that is entirely from the specialist, from the medical point of view, apart from any general evidence in the case. The next matter for consideration to me has been, supposing that the deceased took arsenio habitually, can he have done it for the mere by me this week in case any further evidence is pleasure, for, as is well known, there are me required. I have found arsenic, more parti. dicines of the narcotic class which are taken cularly in the liver. I find it difficult to because of their effect upon the imagination speak about the lead for fear that what and sensations, and it might be the case with I say may have effect upon the minds of arsenic; but unless we include the case of the jury. I will say only that I have met with the Styrian peasant, who is said to take a substance which promises to be lead. The arsenic in large quantities to benefit his re- arsenic which I have found in the organs of the spiratory powers and for the pleasure of taking deceased is sufficient to account for the death, it-with that exception I am not aware of any because the illness is described by the medical record of arsenie giving any pleasure in the attendant as just such as might be cansed or taking. It is therefore on the face of it im-. would be caused by such a substance-arsenic. probable that arsenic would be taken by a The organs sent to me show that the deceased person habitually except as a remedy for reliev- was a healthy man so far as these organs are ing pain as in the cases I have mentioned. concerned. I state, therefore, to this Court Whether he was in the habit of taking arsenic that my opinion is that the deceased died from or not is important as accounting for the pre- the effects of arsenic, and I come now to the sence of arsenic in the house; but that does not question how that arsenic was received by the concern my evidence. Another aspect of the deceased. Arsenic is an important medicine case is that such use of arsenic might account for as well as a widely known poison. It would the introduction or reception by the deceased of be well, therefore, for me first to state a poison the arsenic which killed him. Therefore I would dose and a medicinal dose of arsenic. The point out that arsenic is not a cumulative medi- largest medicinal dose that is of ordinary cine. It is not a medicine which if you take medicinal arsenic, white arsenic-is about one- in small medicinal doses will at last collect in fifteenth of a grain. Much less may be used; the system and at last produce the effects of a but I give that approximately as the largest poisonous dose. That is against the experience dose that would be prescribed. The ordinary of those who have examined intò 1 action preparation of arsenic. for medical use is this medicine and of the medical "Fowler's Solution of Arsenic." Of this a full It is a medicine, which is dose is eight drops. The poisonous dose of from the system, in ur white arsenic-the smallest dose that is fairly. must therefore turn to the certain under favourable conditions-according to study, how the arsenic was to the very wide experience that we have of illness lasted seven or ei the effects of this poison, is two grains. That were not so acute at first. is the smallest fatal dose. In making this state- arsenic poisoning, ment I am only giving the evidence of experience in asserting that a smaller dose could not cause death; but it is my experience that two grains |
Dr. Ed. Divers was the next witness called. The Coroner-You were requested by me, as Coroner, to make a chemical examination of the viscera of Mr. Carew. You will please state if you have done so and the result.
Dr. Divers-My examination of the stomach and other internal organs of the deceased is not yet complete, but is sufficiently advanced for the
The Coroner You have written and asked me officially, and my reply was to make the application before the jury. (To the jury) Mr. Lowder applied on 27th of October that Mrs. Carew might be heard before any other witness and I replied that I saw no objection at the time, but since the 27th Mr. Lowder, ac-purposes of the inquest, and will be continued companied by Mr. Walford, has waited upon me and informed me in a general way of the nature of the evidence proposed to be given by Mrs. Carew; and in my opinion it would be a waste of your valuable time at this stage of the proceedings to hear that evidence. With your concurrence I propose to hear Mr. Lowder in support of his application to recall Mrs. Carew, but not before the other witnesses are heard. In that way it appears to me that Mrs. Carew cannot be placed at a disadvantage. The case, so far as it has gone, has tended to throw suspicion upon Mrs. Carew, and I think it will be better for her to hear the whole of the evidence, and then to state what evidence she wishes to give afterwards rather than for her to be called before the other witnesses. In-
less Mr. Lowder can state succinctly and clearly what disadvantage Mrs. Carew will be put to by not being called now, I propose not to call her before the other witnesses.
Mr. Lowder said his reason for making the application, for Mrs. Carew to be called before the other witnesses was that the jury might come to the conclusion that Mrs. Carew sat in Court and heard all the evidence and then set up the story which would be presented.
The Coroner - If that is the only argument recommend the jury to refuse the appli- towing as I do the evidence you pro-
Buchanan Dunlop was then called the morning of Mr. Carew's death, the 22nd, my children's Christoffel, came in great distress early morning and said she must uld speak. She said she had met grow nurse, Miss Jacobs, the day
varied, becoming very severe, the then very severe to the time duration of life after a poisonous dose has