MEDICAL DETECTIVES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2143, 8 May 1914, Page 7

MEDICAL DETECTIVES

A POISON MUSEUM FOR STUDENTS, AIDS IN TRACING CRIME 'ilto ttinari'cahlfi made yii'riii.g tlio last few years in the t;.cieni;e of legal livedieii.io 'has led to the formation at I'nh-et sily Go'llege Itejjital .Medical School oi ii |iiiis( ; ni.m of tipcc.iancfts dV>r tjvd use of sbttflcnte vt'RilriJg this subjcHik* nivi.se.tiin, though as yet a small one is of a highly interesting character, am } illustrates how many ditiierJUes and pifchiiis surround this nwiiicoslegiil esiiert "ho is railed upon t.j give evidence iit ait J wnperbjnt oiise-. ('flisaiis a'hd speciae.iis illustrating tlio effects 0( poisons on the tissues and organs- of tho boily necessarily ot'ciikv a ; H inijiertaitt placo in tho collectionArranged round tho W-ivils of -tlio mnstmin aro but ties n.iid jars containing samples oi' all the. common toxic, substances- arsenic, antimony, jitusste acid, enrboMo scat, osslie arid, mercury, belladonna, opium, mix vomica, calabar heau, eroton seeds, and many others, f , *'/. a number of the rarer varieties! including hyosoya.mi.no., of sinister reputei silica i ho. Oflppeu trial, and pyrtam, a most deadly liquid winch in very minute quantities .is foiiiiet in dirty iohitceo pipes, and winch, with nicotine, accounts »or tho disastrous effects of orcf-siiioWiiiT, In addition W tho actual poi sono.u.s ■.sn ; bst.D:n.ees.i thei.'o are frames containing the leaves of poisonous plants; tlie.se hav-:-boc.ii collected as an aid to_ t;lm ■Sdo'.itiillc'a.ti'fln. of material found in the stomachs of persons tho circumstances of Whose, deaths may have •given ri'so to suspicion. EfleciG of Poisons. % effects, of various poisons on those siVaibv.itig them ato illustrated l>y a. row of rc.ther forbidding-looking bottles, containing actual ipefii-' tecirs, In one of these- bottles ato tiro . tonguo and. throat of Mi unfortunate individual who drank a quantity .of nitric acid—aqua fori is. The tissues are badly burned and scarred, the powerful acid having eaten holes in tho nnicua membranes in several places. Another similar specimen shows the effects oi carbol.te acid &nd tho peculiar darkening, of the organs caused by this co.rVo.s'ive, ' Antimony poisoning is :)jns- . irated. by a piece- oi the iva'll of ti.io' stomneh of a victim, whilst the, aiipear•Unces followiiij; |be taliing of ammonia —u liicli does ~liot scjir—^arid. liiivriatjo «cxl are also shown.\\ • . 11l criminal poisoning cases it lias frequently happened that ti:o body of the victim has been txhumcd in Order to carry out toists- for tho siispcctcfl niafcrial. In these cases of lirsfc unparta.nca that tlio iiic'dieo-lo.n;!! wi'tv ues.s should difforeiniate nbsolutely, not only between -hotty : betora death and jwis-onS ' enfjeiuieroil wiring the process decomjKisition, but. also between tho appearances of . eorroded tissues and 'Of tissjies- wasting ' away towards what, mav lie termed ''.na- ; ''tuEaf dissoltitiop 7To aid the student, lit gfljnin'g idea 1 of these, appearane.es, gpreimens. Juhhj- 'been prepared showing various organs, and rtio.ro cspp.€uuiy tho wails 0f ito.llojv .iiico tho stomach, hi an ad\-anced post.morfeni condition, these arc at-. .ranged close |o the specimens of poisoii- . eflecis. and thus afford a very striking ' and instructive ronlrast. The appara--tils tised in tos'tiiig for nr.sejtfc aiitl jartt- ; mony is esiiibited. Thes.b ; .' tests ■ are amang tlio- .most 1 delicate, known ro . chiiiiiisiry, a'n.J render it aln'.ost iinposSibl'o for these 'to bo tised and to e'scap.o detection. Arsonie, in partienlar, remains in the body long iiftor death bus occurred, and lias oven liceii recovered Irani the Boil surroundfegsa grave.. • • Cunshot Wounds. Exhibits illustrating gwnshot wounds oi various kinds are given a pi'viiiHticitt place. The fact that tho site of entry fsC the bullet is nstially marked hv ii si.uall hole, wJmlg 'tii.nt of :iis esit pre--seiits' a larje. fagged wauud, is iltus-ti-aied by .a, of a iiuiiia'ii. fgat, This feg.f, was pierced. t.raiiSvers.e.Jy to its long axis. On one side i's a bina'.l rfpeitiiJio abuut the- skx* oi a six-pence; i oii the other sido theto iqjpeais an extensive laceration oxtending 110111 tlie. finklo- -iiisiiosl to the roots <?f the toes. Tiro splintering of bone which often ac-eompani-s 3 shooting accident is demonstrated i-,y a shattered lniiiieras (long hone- of tlio jirßi), whilst a s]seiete.n of ati elbp.w joint shows how. n- bullet cut oil' and carried away .the head of one of the bimes of the (oiearni. Another iuterestiiig ex-'nibit is tho tkull 'of a suicide who pia.eed tlio. anuzzlo of a re.>\'olvor ill His mouth ngainst his palate. Tho bullet passed -through the nasal chamber to tho base of the braiii-, tra- : versed this organ, and:- found o::res.g tliroufh a hole ij'i tho vault of tha orantUm, 1W people, probablv, know that tho liver is a eompaniiively brittle organ., capable of being fi : actt!r.eci.'. That such is tho ease. liOwever, is shown by a .specimen, taken from, tho victim of ~a street accident. This liver is literally ■cracked in two and p.j-cseii.ts :aii appearance like that of a leaf of stale bread : which, has been torn asunder. Ppeeimens iih::4ratiiig the iinporlant teren.cffs ■betsye.e.n. jniii-.at.ured. eoirtuse'd., incised.; mid lacerated ivon'mfe havo not yet been abided to tbe collection. . Oil the Other, band, til or 0 i.s a most i'ejnarkaMp esliibit slvoM'ins how di'sr(>gard of insti'iictioiis cost ii patient his iii'e. The spftotiiien '.•o.iisisis ttf a p'.ee.o of windpipe iii which a luniii of nunt lias hcconie. iiriniy fised- Tlve. victuu, ill defiance of orders, consumed a heavy . meal shortly before '.-iking an anr>e.-:- : jbetic; lio became tick during : tho course oi the ftper.iytio'n, and the ni'eftt Was sueked into life' air All efforts to dislodge it .proved, nftiivfliliarg, Oil the table iii the centre of tlw musiv 'lini lies a suit of elothfis wofn by 'ii -J'a* bovtrer who was siinek and ivilled hv linjitmn-t;. The remarkable feature of •this exliibit is the small amniint of daiiiago .ir.ijtually rtonov -"W\itli t-lie ! eS;-. cefition of a hole aliont 3?li- iu d'Ujnv.etei'.,. and situated in tljc region covrnnn ihe heart, the suit is nniiijured. Tlso li.olo is clean fi.it, aiid except round the edges there is liitlc «>r no ividei'ec of biireiiigi A ivatdi worn by thorVteiiu.i ttaa OMlßplctely fused. Icicntlly 0' Bl'cod stains. Ee.si.do this suit ii.'re a. ivu.mlwr' o? knives showing dark siaius oil their blades, a lieuvy piece <i.t' iron., similarly stained., and senro pteccs of doth iiiid noqd. Tliesa. sijee.iiwsiys. ltayo beeii sc- : iocle.il to llliistraic ihe. eU'ects. of' Vai - ious: fluids and corrosives. Oid bio.id Viains " oxl metal are' n.oiorini.isl'y./fd'iiitE'utt to clifl'crenviate from iust and tho atate.s .left by the. juices oi certain fruits, notably apples {'intf* oianges, wi;i.le stems 011 chills are always apt, to bo iiiisteaflisig. ttap)):iiy iit Most U.f these eases the ~i,i:.W.flscope affords 11 satisfactM'vy solniioii til tile liiiliiuV.y. Waste avian blood can . tiksvys bo di.sftsanv; iiraimiiniion niieroseo-, 1 iiically. i-iie unly tiniinal wjiosn cc..'|,i'.ieles are qiiiio disMni'tive iunl nivmistakable is ti'io ean'iel. jut/ists lmd nr.t'l retce-lv no cei'tnin means of jl isi littt" i s 1:1 n ;jc the blood ;(if a. 11, ais from that or, say. a dc;g._ itcjearch, Smwe'Vej.', ba.S' v i-ir<iK* , <>d ;)■ ujiw stli-il lUost wihtie pi'oeess t-n- e'iiSij of frcsli blood at any care, a! 'olnie ;ii: rerientitiiifltt can T,o\v lie at-bieved, a»3 ovejii ill certain b'.-t'Ui.-e.s, rite fact, of c.misavsguiuity .ostablis-'iftd, "ilreri? is. a'pl.ioto3rii.ph ;in tlie of I.eou !)eron, tl'.e rum :unr<ir.rcd on tihrliitau! C'omnion s \'no vi-.ai s .1 'n. which rf.iM's (hft reinaikable seiijcis <sf (tits and pnsi'rt'S iit.idc after death lipo'i) t!in . iiiecir.; (if. i ii,> vtetiiH. These were siiiiposed to cep'-osee! s/une secret "-Ign. On ilu v l.irsw is. a deej) h(!vs".sli<.i> :-iiancd j w.niud—<•! ;'s,nit.lv !'!iat Iw v bi' ii tho . j .murdefftd 'nan 'met bis deniii. The pictii.ro- illustrii'tes lii. a stiikiiig fashion Uie differcui •* lieUvoen wounds, lisndo liefore and those madb after death.—t .London "Times..'''