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Right kidney also rather small (about size of left). A few whitish contracted areas over capsule. Cortex appeared somewhat paler upon incision than in the left kidney.
Both kidneys placed in the same jar with the liver and turned over to Mr. R.A. Duncan for examination and analysis.
The Bladder was opened and found to be completely empty. Normal in appearance.
Ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus were inspected and found to be in advanced state of senile atrophy.
The skull was opened. Bones of skull found to be unusually thick. The grooves of the inner plate for reception of meningeal arteries unusually deep and well marked.
Dura mater adherent to skull-cap.
Meningeal and cerebral arteries intact.
Meningeal vessels injected in marked degree.
Excess of fluid in arachnoid space.
Brain removed and turned over to Dr. F.R. Day for preservation.
(signed) C.B. Woods, M.D.
F. Howard Humphris, M.D.
F.R. Day, M.D.
H.V. Murray, M.D.
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Professor R.A. Duncan being first duly sworn testified as follows:
Mr. Rawlins Q. Your full name please?
A. Robert Andrew Duncan.
Q. And your degrees, titles, and diplomas?
A. I have a degree of Bachelor of Science in the University of California, in the College of Chemistry. My Occupation is chemist, at present food commissioner of the Territory of Hawaii.
Q. You are the Governmet Chemist also for the Territory of Hawaii?
A. My title is food commissioner not Government Chemist, although I was up to the last Legislature.
Q. You have had considerable experience have you doctor in chemistry?
A. I have had considerable experience.
Q. And you are at present located in Honolulu?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. On the first day of March, 1905, did you receive from the hands of Dr. Pratt a bottle containing some capsules, cascara capsules, a bottle containing some vomit and a glass with a spoon in it, and a bottle purporting to be bicarbonate of soda?
A. I received from Dr. Pratt the bottle containing vomit and the glass containing the spoon and the bottle of bicarbonate of soda and the capsules.
Q. Who did you receive the bottle of capsules from?
A. From Dr. Pratt.
Q. Did you receive other drugs or medicines from Mrs. Henry on that day?
A. I did.
Q. Were you present at the morgue of the Queen's Hospital on the first day of March this 1905, when an autopsy was performed upon a body said to be that of Jane Lathrop Stanford?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Did you receive --- who also was present that you recall?
A. Dr. Wood, Dr. Day and Dr. Pratt and Dr. Murray. There were several others present but I don't recollect. Those for.
Q. Who performed the autopsy?
A. Dr. Wood.
Q. Did you receive from Dr. Wood any of the organs taken from that body, or any of the contents that were in it?
A. Yes sir.
Q. Will you kindly state what you received from him?
A. I received a bottle containing urine, the contents of the stomach and contents, the contents of the intestinal tract below the stomach, contents of the intestines, the two kidneys, the liver, I think that is all.
Q. What was done with these, Doctor; were they sealed there on the hospital premises?
A. No, they were handed to me by Dr. Wood and I took possession of them as he placed them in the bottles, and after receiving the organs of the body I took them down to the -- to my office in Free Dispensary building and remained there until some time in the early afternoon, 2 o'clock or so, and the Sheriff Henry came in then with several other samples, with a small bottle, some Bartlett mineral water, a flash [sic] containing alcohol --Can I refer to my notes?
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Q. Yes. These notes were made at the time were they?
A. These notes made from memory, the original notes are lost. May I read these? One full bottle Bartlett Water, containing a few cubic centimeters of liquid and one pocket flask covered with basket, a nickle screw top, and one bottle of capsules from the High Sheriff.
Q. Now you remained in possession of these things until in the afternoon?
A. Yes, sir, I remained in the possession of these articles until the arrival of Dr. Shorey.
Q. Dr. Shorey?
A. And on his arrival we placed them in the room of my laboratory and sealed the door and we left the building for our dinner and prepared for analysis.
Q. Was there a police officer there at the time?
A. There was a police officer in the hall at that time.
Q. Now. Dr. Shorey is a chemist connected with the United States government experimental station is he?
A. Yes.
Q. And the gentleman whom you succeeded in the Territorial service?
A. Yes.
Q. You and Dr. Shorey went to your dinner and what time did you return?
A. We returned about 6 o'clock.
Q. Did you find the articles that you enumerated and which you had locked away in the closet in the same condition in which you had left them?
A. We found the seal in the same condition in which we had left it and we opened the door and the articles were in the same condition.
Q. What was done with these articles then?
A. We began the analysis.
Q. Will you state Doctor what you did?
A The first article we took up was the examination of the bicarbonate of soda and --- Q. Have you that bottle with you?
A. I have it here. (Witness produced bottle labeled "Bicarbonate of Soda, Chas Wells and Co Chemist & (Next Southern Cross Hotel) 60 King Williams Street, Adelaide")
Q. Is that the bottle of bicarbonate of soda that was handed to you?
A. That is the bottle that was handed to me by Dr. Pratt.
Q. And how much was in that bottle at the time?
A. The bottle contained 43 grams or 662 grains.
Q. Kindly state what you did?
A. I should state that I forgot in the morning, when I received that bicarbonate of soda I weighed out a portion of analysis and I intended to examine it myself but I was notified in regard to the autopsy and I took that portion weighed out and placed it with the other articles under seal, and while I was away, and when we started in to make the analysis of the various samples that was analysed. There was three analyses made of the bicarbonate of soda, and in the first which I weighed out myself there was obtained 7/100 of a grain of strychnia; in the second there was obtained---
Q. You have stated in the analysis you made there was 7/100 of a grain, now how much, in what quantity of bicarbonate of soda? A. That would --- in ten grams. In the second ten grams we obtained 13/100 of a grain; in the third ten grams we obtained 14/100 of a grain of strychnia. And by calculation of the remaining amount, the bottle contained approximately one half grain of strychnia.
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Q. So then Doctor in your three tests, each time taking ten grains?
A. Ten grams.
Q. Ten grams, there was the amount of strychnia varied each time did it?
A. The amount varied in the first ---
Q. In the first?
A. But the other two were approximately equal.
Q. Well, in your experience will you state whether strychnia is a component part of bicarbonate of soda or is it a foreign substance introduced into it?
A. Strychnia is a foreign substance in bicarbonate of soda.
Q. Now will you tell next what you did Doctor?
A. We next started the analysis of the organs of the body. We examined the urine with a negative result; we examined the contents of the stomach with negative results; a negative result for strychnia; and we examined the --- one kidney with a negative result. I might --- perhaps I forgot to state that we did not take all of the contents of the stomach, we took a portion and in a portion of the contents of the intestines we were unable to separate any poisonous substance, but we obtained a color reaction which is characteristic when performed under proper precautions, of strychnia. We next combined all her remaining organs including the liver which we had not examined before, and our final extract gave us the same result as we obtained in the intestinal fluid; that is, we obtained a color reaction which is indicative of strychnia.
Q. Now Doctor I ask you this question: in making these tests, in your endeavor to obtain is color reaction did you use every known precaution?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And what is the technical name for that, or what is the common name.
A. The common name is the fading purple test.
Q. Fading purple. And by this fading purple test you discovered in the contents of the intestines a color reaction which indicated to your mind, or which indicated strychnia?
A. That color reaction as far as I know is not given by any other body but strychnia, and we were unable to isolate the strychnia to get it in a weighable quantity; but there is no other body so far as I know that would give that reaction under those conditions in which it was performed.
Q. You consulted all the learned works on this matter while performing this test?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And are perfectly that that -- -that the color produced was that particular to strychnine?
A. Yes.
Q. And this same color was obtained in the extracts made from taking all the rest of the organs together?
A. Taking all the rest together the same color was obtained.
Q. Were you able to separate the strychnia in that case?
A. No, sir.
Q. Can you inform us Doctor or give us any reason why it could not be separated?
A. The amount present might be so small that it would be distributed over the entire body and would not be in very great quantity in the organs that we tested.
Q. Did you notice the stomach when it was opened at the autopsy?
A. Yes.
Q. Was any digested---any undigested food in there that you found?
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A. There was no food could be identified. There was small particles in the stomach, but we did not attempt to identify them. There was no large particles.
Q. What would be the effect of the introduction of a substance containing strychnia into a stomach in which there was no undigested food, would it be to cause a quick absorption of the strychnia?
A. I don't care about testifying on a physiological point.
Q. Then I withdraw that question. And in these two tests Doctor you have stated --- you have mentioned as the color, or the fading purple test, you are convinced that it indicated strychnia?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And the color obtained is peculiar only to strychnia?
A. Yes sir. May I return to the bicarbonate of soda?
Q. Yes I would like to ask you a question right here: can you explain to us Doctor or give any reason why there was this difference in the different tests of the bi-carbonate of soda, the difference in weight of the amount of strychnia found there?
A. It is quite possible that it was not thoroughly mixed.
Q. Was not thoroughly mixed?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. The particles of strychnia are larger than those of bicarbonate of soda are they; in other words, bicarbonate of soda was much finer than the strychnia that you found in there?
A. Yes, the strychnia in that bottle was much larger than the bicarbonate of soda particles.
Q. Would you say Doctor that it was possible where the particles of strychnia were larger than the bicarbonate of soda that a greater quantity of strychnia would be at the top or [sic] a bottle of bicarbonate of soda?
A. Well, that would depend on whether the strychnia was mixed with the bicarbonate of soda; if it was thoroughly incorporated with it and remained at rest why it would probably remained equally distributed.
Q. But supposing it were shaken up or some thing, wouldn't the effect be for the final [sic] particles to sift lower down and leave the larger at the top?
A. Yes. That is the effect of small quantities, small quantities go to the bottom.
Q. I have interrupted you, will you proceed --- in these three tests that you made you pursued the same method did you with the three tests that you made of the ten grams each?
A. No. We worked it out by a different method. The first method was, we dissolved the bicarbonate of soda in water, and the strychnia we found there was insoluble ion [sic] water, and by filtration we separated the strychnia in the condition in which it was, of powder. In the other two tests we separated the strychnia by another method, and in the last two, this is the strychnia that was obtained from ten grams of the bicarbonate of soda
(Witness here exhibited two watch glasses showing deposits of strychnia)
Q. You proved up each one of these and showed yourself that they were correct?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Well Doctor in your opinion which would be the more reliable test?
A. The second, the method used in the second, in the last two extractions would be the most reliable. There is a tendency for some of the strychnia to go into solution, although it is very insoluble in water.
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