that Dr. Cowan had seen her, and ordered stimulants, and that his wife had had chloroform, but whether by Dr. Cowan's orders or not I don't know. I think he said she had had champagne. Mrs Pritchard began by apologising for not having sent for me sooner. Dr. Cowan, she said, was a friend of the family, and she had sent for him and he had come. She afterwards said that she was aware that I had been a class-fellow of her brother, Dr. Matthew Taylor, of Penrith. I had some other conversation with her, and spoke to her of her symptoms. I found that she had been sick, but was now in a state of extreme exhaustion. She had a pretty good pulse, and there was nothing in her symptoms indicating immediate danger. The most remarkable symptom was the violent state of excitement she was in and the spasms in the hands. She was holding up her arms in bed, and her wrists were turned in; her thumbs were also turned in towards the wrists. Her hands were in a very peculiar state. The impression I formed as to the cause of the excitement was that she was intoxicated by the champagne and chloroform. I withdrew to the fire to warm my hands, with the view to make an examination, when I had no sooner moved towards the fire than she began to scream at the top pitch of her voice, 'Oh, you cruel man! you unfeeling man! don't leave me!' I returned to her bedside, and said I was not going to leave, but I was going to warm my hands. I did so. In the midst of this she was in a state of the most violent hysterical excitement. After various inquiries, and after feeling the state of her skin, I came to the conclusion that she was not in a state to give evidence of her own previous history that night, and I gave the orders that I thought necessary, and left. I ordered that the stimulants should be discontinued. I gave this order emphatically to Dr. Pritchard, and told him most decidedly that she was to get no stimulants whatever until I saw her again. I hardly know what catelepsy is. It is not a disease of ordinary medical experience at all. Almost all we know about it is from books, and what is written about it is to a great extent apocryphal. Therefore, I do not presume to be an authority about catalepsy. Mrs. Pritchard made use of a great deal of language while in the hysterical state, but I took no notice of it, and, in fact, intentionally ignored it. I have great difficulty in remembering whether any of the servants were present. I called again between one and two on the day of which this was the morning. I saw Dr. Pritchard, who said his wife was better and quite quiet. I cannot remember whether he said anything more. He gave me the impression that she was better. We went to Mrs. Pritchard's bedroom, and I found her quiet, She was free from fever. I had some conversation with her, and assured myself that she felt better, and that she

had not vomited since I last saw her; but she still had the remains of spasms in the hands. I directed that she was still to get no stimulants and no medicine. I instructed that when she wanted food she was to get a plain boiled egg and a bit of bread, and I told her that my object was to make her diet as simple as it could possibly be, in order that there could be no possibility of her taking anything which would disagree with her—that is, nothing that would produce sickness or irritation of the stomach. At my visit I was very much puzzled to know what was the matter with her. I thought she was intoxicated-drunk, in factand I thought she was hysterical. I thought it was a case which would require serious, constant attention. I never saw Mrs. Pritchard again. I had to leave town two days after for a distant engagement, and before doing so I wrote a note or sent a message to ascertain how Mrs. Pritchard was, and I received for answer that she was better. I returned on the Saturday afternoon, and on my return there was a patient waiting for me. While I was engaged, I believe Dr. Pritchard called and left word that Mrs. Pritchard was better, and that I need not call. I wrote to Dr. Taylor, the brother of Mrs. Pritchard. I did so, I think, on February 9, after my second visit. My reason for doing so was that I was puzzled, and I thought the practice bad, in so far as the stimulants were concerned at least, and I wished to be aided and backed by his assistance.

Cross-examined by Mr. Clark: "The word 'catalepsy' seemed to me to have no application to the case. I observed nothing peculiar in Dr. Pritchard's nomenclature of disease except that perhaps it was occasionally a little at random. I mean by that that I don't think he was a model of accuracy and wisdom, and cautious in applying names to things. When I wrote to her brother, the first night after I saw her, I did not indicate to him that there had been anything more than improper treatment-I did not indicate to him that there had been any foul play."

Dr. James Paterson, formerly professor of midwifery in the Andersonian Medical School, was then examined by the Solicitor-General. He said: I remember being called to Dr. Pritchard's house on Friday, the 24th of February last. That was the first time I ever crossed his threshold. I was called between half-past ten and a quarter to eleven. Dr. Pritchard conducted me into his consulting-room on the first floor, and there he told me that his mother-in-law, while in the act of writing a letter, had suddenly been taken ill, and had fallen off her chair upon the floor. I think he said it would be about an hour or half an hour before I came that this happened. I asked if he could assign any reason or

cause for the suddeness of the attack. He said his mother-in-law and Mrs. Pritchard had been partaking of some bitter beer, as I understood, to supper, soon after which they both became sick and vomited, and both complained that the beer was much more bitter to the taste than usual. He said they could not have taken more than a third of the pint each, because there was still some remaining in the bottle. I said I could not think it possible that either Allsop's or Bass' beer would produce such an effect, and that the attack must depend on some other cause. I asked him with regard to the previous state of his mother-in-law's health, and particularly as to her social habits, when, by a particular insinuation, he led me to understand that she was in the habit of taking a drop occasionally. He stated also that Mrs. Pritchard had been very poorly a long time past with gastric fever, and that some days before he had telegraphed for his mother-in-law to come and attend her in her illness. I then went upstairs to the bedreom, and on entering I observed Mrs. Taylor lying on the edge of the bed next to me. She was lying on her right side. All her clothes were on, and she had all the appearance of a sudden seizure. Mrs. Pritchard, with her nightdress on, with nothing on her head, and with her hair much dishevelled, was in the same bed, underneath the clothes, and sitting up immediately beyond her mother. On examining Mrs. Taylor, my impression was that she had previously been in very good health. She seemed to me to be rather above the ordinary size, good-looking, well-formed, and altogether, I should say, a very superior, looking person. There was not the slightest appearance of her being in the use of spirits or intoxicating liquors. On examining her face it was rather pale, but the expression was calm and placid. The eye-lids were partially closed; the lips were rather livid; the breathing was slow and laborious. The skin was cool, and covered with a clammy perspiration. The pulse was almost imperceptible, and she seemed to be perfectly unconscious. On my opening up her eyelids I found both pupils very much contracted. From these symptoms, and judging from her general appearance, my conviction was that she was under the influence of opium or some other powerful narcotic, and I at once pronounced my opinion that she was dying. On my doing so, Dr, Pritchard, in an under tone, said something, apparently unwilling that the expression of my opinion should be heard by the ladies. We retired a little from the bedside, and I then said distinctly that she was dying. Dr. Pritchard said she had frequently had attacks before of a similar kind, but never one so severe. I said nothing we could do would have the slightest effect, but as a last resource we might try mustard poultices to the soles of the feet, the calves of the legs, and the inside of the thighs; and as quickly as possible administer a

strong turpentine injection. Dr. Pritchard at once proceeded to prepare an enema, and he said he had a little before given her one in which he had administered a glass of brandy. Mrs. Taylor lay apparently comatose or unconscious, but on her being roused a little, and the head and shoulders slightly elevated, a degree of consciousness came on, and the pulse became perceptible at the wrist. I directed Pritchard's attention to the pulse at the wrist as showing a slight reaction, and he clapped Mrs. Taylor on the shoulder and said, "You are getting better, darling." A slight fit of retching now came on, and she put up a small quantity of a frothy kind of mucus, immediately after which the coma returned. The breathing became more oppressed, more laboured, and evacuations were passed involuntarily. I then concluded that the case was utterly hopeless, but Pritchard administered the enema in my presence. I afterwards left the room and went downstairs, accompanied by Pritchard, and we entered the consulting-room. I repeated my opinion that she was in a state of narcotism. Pritchard then stated that the old lady was in the habit of regularly using Battley's sedative solution, that she had a few days before purchased not less than a half-pound bottle of the medicine, and that he had no doubt but that it was very likely she might have taken a good "swig" of it. That was his expression. There was little more said at the time. I know Battley's solution, but I very seldom have used it. While attending to Mrs. Taylor in the bedroom I was very much struck at the same time with the appearance of Mrs. Pritchard. I must say I could not banish from my mind the conviction that her symptoms betokened that she was under the depressing influence of antimony. I never put a single question to Mrs. Pritchard. The impression was created entirely by her appearance. A little before one o'clock next morning my door-bell was rung, and there was a girl asking for me to come directly to Mrs. Taylor. I refused to go, because I was certain that I could be of no service, and as I was very much fatigued with the previous day's work. But I sent my compliments to Dr. Pritchard, saying that if he really thought I could be of use he was to send back word, and I would then visit him. My house is only a short distance from his in the same street-195 yards. No message came back, and I did not rise. On the 3rd of March I received through the post-office a schedule from the registrar, in which I was requested to tell him the cause of Mrs. Taylor's death, and the duration of her disease. I refused to do so, and sent the schedule back to the registrar on the Saturday, with a note accompanying it, and directing his attention to the circumstance. I accidentally met the prisoner in Saucichall street on the Wednesday after Mrs. Taylor's death. He said I had been very correct in my opinion with

regard to his mother-in-law; and added that he would feel obliged if I would visit Mrs. Pritchard next day. On Thursday, the 2nd March, about eleven in the forenoon, I saw Mrs. Pritchard in bed. She was still very weak and prostrate. In a very earnest manner she asked me if I really thought that her mother was dying when I saw her. I said, "Most decidedly," and that I had told Pritchard so. She then clasped her hands, looked up, and feebly exclaimed, " Good God, is it possible?" and burst into a flood of tears. I asked her with regard to the previous state of her mother's health. She told me her mother's health was generally very good, but she suffered occasionally from what she called neuralgic headache, and for the relief of these attacks she took a little of Battley's sedative solution. I understood that she was not in the habit of taking it. I then questioned her with regard to herself, and prescribed some stimulants to recruit her strength, and some cooling drink to relieve the heat and irritation. Dr. Pritchard called on me about eight o'clock on the evening of the 17th of March, and requested me to visit Mrs. Pritchard. When I saw her I was much struck by her terribly altered appearance. She seemed quite conscious, for she caught my hand, and I could see a half smile of recognition on her countenance. She began to mutter something about vomiting. Dr. Pritchard was standing behind, and he volunteered to say she had not been vomiting, and that she was only raving. She complained of great thirst. There was a peculiarly wild expression in her face. The eyes were of fiery red, sunk in the head; her cheeks were hollow, sharp and pinched, and still much flushed. Her pulse was very weak and exceedingly rapid. Her tongue was of a darkish brown colour, very foul-very foul. She immediately began to grasp as if to catch some imaginary object about the bed clothes. Pritchard said she had not slept for four or five days and nights. I then said we must endeavour to do something to relieve her, and if possible procure some refreshing sleep. We left the bedroom, and went downstairs. I then prescribed. A dose was to be repeated in four hours if the first did not produce sleep. The prescription was written to my dictation by Dr. Pritchard. About one next morning my bell was loudly rung, and a young woman requested me to come to Mrs. Pritchard immediately, as she had become much worse. I proceeded to dress, but in less than three minutes my door bell was again rung, and the servant girl said I need not come, as Mrs. Pritchard was dead.

In cross-examination, witness stated that it was his impression on seeing Mrs. Pritchard that she was poisoned, or being poisoned with antimony. He did not go back to see her, because she was not his patient. He had nothing to do with her. It was not his duty to do so. You saw