Coroner's inquest in re: Death of Jane L. Stanford (photocopy), 1905

tissue of an organ caused by strichnia, which would be a proof that death was due to strichnia having been taken in more than medical do[s]es. The post mortem appearances found in cases of strichnia poisoning correspond, that is in other cases, in known cases of strichnia poisoning, correspond with the post mortem appearances which were found at this autopsy. The other important thing for the jury to know is that an examination of the different organs of the body, and they were all examined, failed to show any sufficient cause of death. The contents of the stomach, together with the stomach itself were placed in a jar which had been previously cleaned, a new jar. The jaw [sic] was closed and turned over with its contents to Mr. R. A. Duncan the Government chemist. The contents of the intestines were emptied into another jaw [sic] and turned over to Mr. Duncan. The kidneys were removed. The liver was removed. They were placed together in another jar and turned over to Mr. Duncan. The amount of urine which was contained in the bladder, about two ounces, was drawn off through a catheter, placed in a bottle which had been prepared for that purpose and turned over to Mr. Duncan. All of these things I turned over myself, personally gave them into the custody of Mr. Duncan the Government chemist. I think that is the essential-- those are the essential features of the post mortem examination. I am ready to answer questions or give any other information that is necessary.

Q. Doctor I understand you to state that every organ of the body was in perfect condition, was healthy?

A. I didn't state that.

Q. What did you state?

A. I state that there was not in the examination of the different organs of the body discovered any sufficient cause of death due to disease.

Q. Well from the condition in which you found the organs of the body and the intestines and the stomach, was it indicative of any cause of death?

A. The symptoms as far as-- the post mortem appearances as far as post mortem appearances go, were indicative of death due to strichnia.

Q. The arching of the feet and the clenching of the teeth and these other symptoms that you have found, are those commonly found Doctor in cases of strichnia poisoning?

A. Yes sir.

Q. And again I ask you the question where there was no other matter or indication of any other cause of death by natural means?

A. No, I was not able to determine any sufficient cause of death due to disease of any of her organs.

Q. These symptoms that you have described, are they typical in cases of strichnia poisoning?

A. They are the symptoms which are laid down in the text books though it is hardly proper to use the terms symptoms, but they are the post mortem appearances which are given in texts books as due, or as present, in cases of death due to strichnia.

Agd. [sic] Clifford B. Wood

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Dr. C. B. Wood, recalled and sworn:

Mr. Rawlins. Doctor, in your experience and in your study of the practice of medicine, have you read of causes or known of cases where persons were known to have taken strychnia and yet upon examination of the contents of the stomach no traces of strychnia have been found?

A. Yes, sir, it is not an uncommon thing.

Q. In a case like the present one, the doctor have testified--the autopsy shows that Mrs. Stanford was a woman of seventy-seven years of age, that the stomach was--- that all food had been digested, would the fact that strychnia had been taken into a stomach in that condition, would the strychnia be absorbed quicker?

A. Any medicine taken into the empty stomach and taken well diluted is absorbed much quicker than if it was taken in a full stomach and not well diluted.

Q. Would the fact doctor, that immediately after taking this taking that cascara capsule containing one-thirtieth of a grain of strychnia, a half a teaspoonful of bi-carbonate of soda containing one-twentieth of a grain of strychnia, and then immediately on of that taking six or seven of luke-warm water would that tend to dissolve the strychnia in the stomach?

A. You have mixed your questions up; what has that got to do with a capsule? Do you mean if the water is taken into the stomach after the swallowing of the bi-carbonate of soda and capsule, taken immediately after, they both dissolve more quickly and surely?

Q. Yes?

A. It certainly would.

Q. Doctor, from what you have read and from your own experience, what is known as a fatal dose of strychnia, what would you call a fatal dose?

A. Half a grain would be apt to be a fatal dose. A quarter of a grain has been known to be fatal, and I believe there is a case on record where one-sixteenth of a grain in a child, a young child, has proven fatal, but a half a grain would be a pretty dangerous dose for any person to take unless they were accustomed to take strychnia.

Q. Those cases you mention, doctor, in regard to a half a grain or a quarter of a grain, are those in the case of an adult.

A. There is a well known case, a physician who died, and died very promptly; I have forgotten what was the dose, but it was a very small dose, I think was not over half a grain.

Q. By an adult you mean a person fully grown?

A. Fully grown.

Q. Would advanced [age] change that?

A. Advanced age is one of the things which must be carefully gone into. Young people and old people, its effects are much more severe, they are out of proportion in severity, and in young children and old persons you cannot give, and we never do give the same of strychnia, to a woman who is sixty or seventy or eighty years old, or a man, that we would give a man who twenty-five or thirty years old, we always give them smaller doses.

Q. Then in the case of an elderly person like Mrs. Stanford was, of the age of seventyseven years, a dose much less than a quarter of a grain of strychnia would cause death?

A. I would not say that, I don't know dose would have proved fatal with her, but her age certainly would have made the dose of strychnia under ordinary conditions less in order

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to proce [sic] fatal than it would if she were a young and a vigorous person. Age is a thing that is well recognized in which strychnia has a marked effect, so that, as I stated before we do not give large doses of strychnia to old people.

Sgd. C. B. Wood

Drs. WOOD & DAY 166 Beretania St., Honolulu, T. H.

Autopsy upon the body of Mrs. Jane L. Stanford at the morgue of the Queen's Hospital, Honolulu, March 1st., 1905, between the hours of 9 A.M. and 12M. Autopsy by Dr. C. B. Wood.

Present: Drs. F.E. Sawyer, F.H. Humphris, H.V. Murray, F.R. Day, J.S.B. Praat [sic], and a portion of the time Dr. W.E. Taylor. There were also present Mr. R.A. Duncan, Chemist and Mr. H.H. Williams, Undertaker. Notes were taken by Dr. F.R. Day.

Body of a well nourished woman of advanced life. Apparently over 65 years of age. Hair rather thin and iron gray in color. No teeth in the lower jaw. In the upper both central incisor; right lateral incisor and canine; left canine. No other teeth in the upper jaw.

Body measured about 5 feet 8 inches.

No wounds or marks of external violence found on the body.

Purple-violet discoloration of the skin of the neck, ears and upper chest region. Over the remainder of the anterior surface of the body the skin was of normal color. Over the posterior aspect of the body, with the exception of the nates, the skin was of a uniform dark violet color. The veins over the anterior region of the neck and chest well markes [sic]. Abdomen tympanitic in moderate degree.

Muscles of the jaw rigid. Jaw sets. Muscles of the mech relaxed. Muscles of the upper arms relaxed. Muscles of the forearms and hands rigid.

Hand half closed. Fingers upon being straightened out and then released, immediately sprang back showing contraction tendons. Muscles of thighs, legs and feet rigid. Both feet adducted and flaxed [sic], exaggerating the arch of the foot in a marked degree. Toes in a state of extension, especially the great toe. This existed in both feet, but more especially in the right foot.

Eyelids relaxed and easily opened. Pupils somewhat dilated, most marked in the right eye, although no great difference in the two eyes.

A sterilized catheter inserted into the bladder drew off about two ounces of urine into a sterilized bottle. This was turned over to Mr. Duncan.

Median incision from the neck to the pubes.

Layer of yellow subcutaneous fat, varying from one inch to two inches in thickness. Abdominal cavity opened. Moderate amount of subperitoneal fat, very yellow in color. Omentum contains considerable quantity of yellow fat. Large intestine distended by gas. Small intestine not distended. Stomach no[t] distended. Superficial vessels of intestinal peritoneum, notably over the upper coils of small intestine injected, arborescent in appearance.

The same appearance noted in the serous coat of the stomach, especially in region of lesser curvature.

Breast plate removed. Almost complete ossification of the coasal [sic costal] cartilages, which had to be cut out with bone forceps.

Lungs dark in color. No pleuritic adhesions no evidence of disease in the lungs.

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Pericardial sac contained about two ounces of serum. Heart covered by layer of fat, especially over the right side; thickest over the right auricle.

Right heart empty and flabby; left heart contracted. Heart exhibits whitish opagna areas. No hypertrophy.

Left ventricle contained a drachm or a drachm and a half of dark fluid blood. No clots.

Right ventricle empty. Both auricles contained dark fluid blood. Absolutely free from clots.

Some dilations of the right ventricle. Also some fatty infiltration of the muscle.

Some atheroma at the base of the mitral valves.

Some atheroma on aortic surface of semilunar valves.

Some atheroma of aorta.

Valves of right heart normal.

All the valves of the heart and vessels competent.

The heart was removed and turned over to Dr. F.R. Day for preservation.

Liver. Apparently normal in size and appearance. Incision into various parts of the liver disclosed no appearance of disease. The gall-bladder contained many small gall stones.

Cystic duct, hepatic duct, and common duct examined and found free from obstruction.

The liver was placed in a glass jar to be submitted to the chemist and examination.

Stomach. The large vessels (veins) along the lesser curvature running toward to anterior and posterior surface of the stomach engorged. Smaller vessels of serous coat, especially towards the cardiac and of stomach injected (arborescent). Stomach ligated at oesophageal and hyloric openings and removed with contents. Stomach opened along lesser curvature, over a glass jar, the contents being received into the jar. Stomach contained a pint or more of fluid. Contents slightly opalescent, yellowish gray in color. Containing flocculent particles varying in size from very small up to size of 5 cent nickel pieces. These flocculent particles sink to the bottom of the jar. No solid food in the stomach. Stomach contents had slight odor of mustard. Mucuous [sic] coat of stomach gray, pale; no evidence of acute general inflammation. Vessels of mucous membrane not injected. Several small areas over region of greater curvature showing ecchymoses into the mucous membrane.

The jar containing the contents of the stomach together with the stomach itself was closed and turned over to Mr. R. A. Duncan for analysis.

Intestines. The entire length of the intestine from the pyloric valve to the anus removed after the ends had been ligated. The contents were stripped out into a glass jar and turned over to Mr. R.A. Duncan for analysis. The contents of the intestine comprise a pint or more of fluid.

The mucous coat of the intestinal tract presented a normal appearance.

Pancreas: Normal.

Spleen: Normal in size, consistence and general appearance.

Left kidney rather small in size (4 X 2¼ X 1½ in.) normal in appearance.

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