amination of the body on behalf of Mr. Long, and witness, had taken notes of the result of their examination, and they had jointly drawn up a report, which, with the permission of the jury, he would read for their information.

Juror.-Was there not what is called a slough or sloughing in the back?

Dr. Thomson.-I am sorry you have put your question in that way, because it places me in a very delicate situation. There was no sloughing. By sloughing we mean the coming away of a dead part. Juror.-Was there nothing of that kind in the back?

Dr. Thomson.-I should say, certainly not. The appearances in the abdomen and thorax were the same precisely as I discovered in examining the body of a young lady who died some time ago, at Chelsea, from taking colchicum in too large a quantity. It is by no means an uncommon practice now with the junior branches of the profession to produce what is called counter-irritation, by applying stimulants to one part in order to relieve another. This is found beneficial in certain systems. I again repeat, how ever, that from what I have seen of the young lady, I cannot found any decided opinion without examining the brain and spine. I have seen death occasioned with less inflammation and general disorganization of the stomach than appeared in this instance, always excepting the appearances in the back, for on no occasion have I seen a back in such a state. The inflammation, therefore, I say, in the stomach was sufficient to have caused death, and if I had found no other appearances than those in the back, I should say that the state of that part was also sufficient of itself to have produced death. Mr. Adolphus. Taking all appear ances and all circumstances into consideration, would you say that death was occasioned by the wound in the back?

Dr. Thomson.-Taking my means of information from the examination I was enabled to make, I should say no; but I should, I once more repeat, have been able to state a decided opinion if I had been allowed to examine the spine and brain.

A Juror.-If you had seen the deceased 10 days ago perfectly well, would you have caused, by any application, such a state of the back?

Dr. Thomson.-No, unless I wished to kill my patient. Such a thing was never done by any medical man that I know of.

Juror.-Supposing the young lady to have a sister who was consumptive, and that she herself, although in good health, was afraid of being similarly afflicted, and applied to you, would you have produced such a sore?

Dr. Thomson.-Certainly not. I would never introduce such a sore for the purpose of producing counter-irritation.

Mr. Wakley. If you had proceeded to the examination of the brain and spine and found no disease there, what would you then have thought the cause of death?

Dr. Thomson. The disease in the back.

The Coroner said, the only way would be to have the spine and brain examined now, if the Jury thought fit.

Dr. Thomson, in continuation, said, he never saw such a sore as that in the deceased's back, although he had known red hot irons to be applied to the skin to produce counter-irritation. He wished very much to pursue the examination of the body.

The witness here produced a strip of the skin which he had taken from the deceased's back, and which was handed round to the jury, and inspected by the numerous medical men present, Dr. Thomson observing, that any medical gentleman would perceive that there was no slough in it, nor was there any disorganization.

Upon the above evidence we are compelled to make a remark or two. Under what species of mental confusion, or rather delusion, Dr. Thomson laboured, when he denied that the parts were disorganized or in a state of slough, we cannot imagine. We saw the parts. They were disorganized. They were in a state of slough. Not a single medical tyro in the profession could have pronounced them to be in any other state. Dr. Thomson indeed evinced some lack of discretion, or at least of tact, in his evidence. A medical audience could scarcely have understood his technical refines ments, much less a jury of non-professi onal people. Mr. Brodie's description of the parts was perfectly correct-that of Dr. Thomson was erroneous.

The next day, Tuesday, the body was disinterred, and examined in the vaults of Moorfields Chapel. We were present at this examination. The brain and its coverings were perfectly natural. The coverings of the spinal marrow were red, but, on the most accurate investigation,

with glasses and the naked eye, it was evident that the red colour was a tinge produced by the blood, and not the product of inflammation. No vessels were perceptible.

The third day's inquest revealed the results of the disinterment and re-dissection in the vaults of the Catholic Chapel in Moorfields. A considerable degree of decomposition had taken place, and the smell of the body and of the vaults generally was most offensive and oppressive. It is useless to multiply the statements of the medical witnesses. They were all in accordance, with the exception of Mr. Wildgoose, whose depositions shew pretty evidently that he was at the dissection as the friend of Mr. Long.

Dr. John Hogg sworn.-Was present yesterday, in the vault in Moorfields chapel, and assisted in examining the head and spine of the deceased. The first thing that struck him as remarkable was the state of the back. It presented between the shoulder-blades a very large kind of eschar; it appeared as if it had been scorched by fire. The body itself was not at all emaciated, but muscular, symmetrical, and in many respects well formed. Dr. Thomson, witness, and others, proceeded to examine the spine; obtained a full view of the spinal cord. There was certainly an ap pearance on the sheath of the spinal cord, opposite to where the external sore was, of discolouration. This was very minutely examined. On removing it to the day-light, it exhibited a crimson appearance. The other part of the sheath was of a more natural colour. On opening the sheath, it was evidently thickened at the part where it was discoloured; but had no appearance of disease. The cord itself was not at all affected. The examination was next directed to the head. On removing the skull-cap, the brain presented an unusually firm and healthy appearance; portions of it were removed and examined as to its structure, which exhibited a state of perfect health. The brain was perfectly sound at the basis, and at the origin of all the cerebral nerves, and all the nerves emanating from the brain itself. Not having been present at the former examination, it was difficult for him (witness) to form an opinion as to the cause of the death, but should say that the violence which had been done to the nervous system was quite sufficient to cause death, particuJarly in the case of a nervous and delicate young lady.

By a Juror.-The sheath of the spinal cord was discoloured from external causes. The opinions of the different gentlemen present at the examination were not communicated to each other; each gentleman made and brought away his own observations. As a professional man he (witness) should certainly not create such a wound on a healthy person. Had not the slightest idea what such a wound could have been made for. Should say decidedly that the lady had not been labouring under the effect of any disease except that of the wound produced on the back, as far as he saw in death even the body had the appearance of health. Had never seen a more beautifully formed body. Had never seen such a wound produced on an unhealthy person, and should be sorry to produce such a one. If the mother of a patient had gone to him, and said other children of her's had died of consumption, and that she was afraid of the one produced falling a victim to the same disease, there were prophylactics that might be had recourse to, but he should never think of making such a wound.

I think

Dr. James Johnson examined.-I reside in Suffolk-place, Pall-mall east. I was present at the examination of the body yesterday. The sheath of the spine was discoloured, but the whole was not thickened. I do not think the redness was the effect of inflammation. it was merely tinged by the blood itself. I conceive that the patient died from several causes, the primary one being the local inflammation, which produced incipient gangrene. The next effect was fever resulting from that inflammation; and, thirdly, the inflammation of the membranes of the stomach and pleura connected with the fever. I suppose the fever to have been produced by the local inflammation, and to have been symptomatic of that inflammation and of the incipient gangrene. I think death was produced by these circumstances combined, all arising from the inflammation in the back. The cause of this inflammation is kept a secret, therefore we can only guess at it.

A Juror. Could you by analyzation discover what the preparation was which was used?

Dr. Johnson.-No; we might perhaps discover some portions of the preparation, but we could not ascertain what the composition was. I did not examine the body internally. I should not have made such a

Cheat narrow, contracted-on deep inspiration left side only expands-right shoulder droops. Immediately below the right sterno-clavicular articulation, but rather nearer the shoulder, the integuments for a space of two inches, - or rather more, in diameter, are reddish and very thin. On coughing or expiration, they swell out into a tumour nearly as large as a goose egg, which almost seems ready to burst. The integuments are drawn inward on inspiration. Great part of the sternal end of first rib, and right side of upper bone of sternum between first and se.cond rib are absorbed, and the space between the first and second rib is consequently enlarged from above downwards. The integuments here and the neighbouring bones are very tender on pressure.

Percussion and Auscultation. Whole of left thorax sounding tolerably sonorous. Respiration in this side unequal, but generally puerile—no râle, nor pectoriloquy.

Lower part of right thorax anteriorly, and right back dull upon percussion. The respiration in this side imperfect every where, but especially so below, although almost cavernous above; no pectoriloquy heard, but gargouillement on coughing, at the apex of the lung.

History. Three years ago was in good health, but suffered from a cough the preceding Winter. In October 1827, his wife died of confirmed phthisis, No. XXVI. FASCIC. III.

which had lasted for two years. In the succeeding February, he caught a cold, for which he treated himself at first, but without success. Mr. Cosgreave was called in and prescribed for him. Cough, with more or less expectoration remained, and in the Winter of 1827-8 he went to Madeira, where he gained flesh surprisingly, but never lost his cough. In the Spring of 1828 he returned, and from that time till a month or so ago he still continued to suffer from the cough and expectoration, with occasional pain in the side, and emaciation. Three weeks or a month ago eu sema of the right side of the neck and parts contiguous to the tumour, to place; it subsided in a few days. fter the subsidence of the emphysema, the tumour below the right clavicle was discovered by Dr. Johnson. Within the last three weeks the integuments have grown thinner.

Plaister and roller to defend the thin integuments from bursting—sedatives— moderately good diet.

26th. Awoke last night and found that the integuments had given way, without any particular exertion of which he was aware. Suffers little aggravation of the symptoms in consequence. Discharges air through the aperture at each expiration.

Light compress.

Aug. 1st. A considerable quantity of purulent discharge issues from the wound on coughing-expectorates by the mouth little else than glairy mucus (probably from bronchi and other lung) -feels inconvenience if the dressings obstruct in any way the egress of matters from the wound-cough trouble

some.

Pil of Morph. Acet. and Conium, ter die—ale, meat, &c.

Monday, 9th. We examined the patient. The expectoration by coughing, from the aperture between the ribs, was very considerable, and attended with a loud discharge of wind, so much resembling a common cough, that it was difficult to say whether the noise was made by the mouth or the intercostal aperture. Very little expectoration now comes from the mouth, except when in the horizontal position, when a small proportion is discharged in the common way. The cough is still more Mм

troublesome than before the new opening took place—he wastes in flesh-and the total discharge is increased. He has, however, no fever; and he sleeps a little by the aid of Battley's sedative. He takes sulphate of quinine in acidulated infusion of roses.

22d. The patient has daily lost ground; and there has lately come on a colliquative diarrhoea, which opiates and absorbents cannot check. The expectoration from the external wound continues profuse, and the rush of air, at each expiration, and especially when coughing, is considerably greater than that which is emitted by the trachea and larynx. The constant discharge from the wound now renders his life a burthen to him, and death is become acceptable. On the 24th of August, he expired. The body was examined by Dr. Dill and Dr. Johnson. The following is Dr. Dill's report.

INSPECTION. The body was much emaciated the skin covering the sternal ends of the second and third ribs of the right side was ulcerated, and a fistulous opening, which communicated with the right thoracic cavity, was formed in the intercostal space between them. On removing the sternum and cartilaginous portion of the ribs, it was found that this fistulous aperture terminated in an immense cavern within the right lung, which was capable of containing at least one pint and a half. This cavity was lined with a tolerably dense membrane, which adhered both anteriorly and behind to the ribs, and, although in some parts there intervened between this sac and the costal pleura a small quantity of pulmonary parenchyma, which had not been as yet destroyed, in general no remains of lung could be perceived beyond the sac, which was in immediate union with the pleura which lined the chest. The destructive process, which had formed this enormous cavity within the substance of the lung, had extended anteriorly through a portion of the sac and costal pleura to the ribs, the sternal ends of the first two of which it had rendered carious, and the third and fourth were so far diseased as to break with ease when but slightly pressed upon. Across the lower half of this tubercular cavern

ran, in an oblique direction, a small shred of lung, which appeared to consist principally of the pleura, which had lined the sulcus between the superior and middle lobes; and towards the left side of the floor a fistulous opening was discovered, which admitted the extremity of the little finger. By slitting down the division of the trachea which is devoted to the right lung, the third branch, which this tube subdivides into, was found to terminate in this opening; and in its immediate neighbourhood was seated another aperture, which was likewise the termination of another branch. It was principally through these openings that the matter, which was expectorated by the mouth, made its way into the trachea, and these free outlets, aided by the external aperture upon the surface of the chest, had furnished such a ready exit to the contents of the cavity that, although almost all the upper and middle lobes were destroyed, there was scarcely any tubercular fluid in the sac. The lower lobe was also extensively diseased and contained several smaller cavities, which freely communicated with that now described. One of these cavities, large enough to contain a pigeon's egg, in place of being ragged, uneven, and suppurating like the rest, was lined with a fine, smooth, mucous membrane. This cavity had been obviously the seat of previous disease, which Nature had arrested by forming this artificial membrane; but as the remainder of the lung

even that in the immediate neighbourhood of this healed vomica-was irremediably disorganized, this sanative effort could have given but a trifling, if any check to the progress of the symptoms. The right lung was in a tolerably healthy state, having only a few hard tubercles imbedded in its upper lobe, and the heart exhibited no manifestation of disease.*

The immense magnitude of the excavation in this case, and the quantity of matter which it must have always contained before it burst externally, occasioned the absence of pectoriloquy. Those acquainted with auscultation will perceive that the indications supplied by percussion and auscultation were re