CONFLICTING EVIDENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 980, 24 May 1930, Page 10

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE

MR. MACKENZIE APPEARS IN MUNN DEFENCE BLOOD-PRESSURE QUESTION Views on tl»e medical aspect of Mrs. Munn’s illness were presented by Mr. Kenneth Mackenzie, a witness for the defence, at the trial in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon, of Arthur Thomas Munn, on a change of wifemurder. Cross-examination of the witness was proceeding when the Court rose. Mr. Meredith and Mr. McCarthy conducted the case for the Crown and Mr. Northcroft and Mr. Muuro represented the accused.

NURSE'S EVIDENCE Winifred Elliott, a married woman, said that she nursed Mrs. Munn when one of her children was born. She saw- nothing else but a good relationship between Mr. and Mrs. Munn. Mrs. Munu had often said that she had a dread of hospitals and she said that if she thought she was going to die she would do so in her own home. Frederick Paterson Worley, professor of chemistry at the Auckland University College, said that he had heard the evidence at the analysts and from what he could gather from the colour-test carried out, there was no definite evidence of strychnine. Such a test relied on a series of colours. The durations of the process would depend upon how it was carried out, but it could only be delayed a few minutes. In one test, a purple colour had been obtained, but he could draw no conclusion front that. Taking a lethal dose of strychnine in solution, the flavour would be intensely bitter. He had conducted tests as to the possibility of concealing strychnine in epsorn salts, but he could not detect any lessening of the flavour. He could not see that anyone would fall to trace the strychnine in the salts, he said. Mr. Meredith: Mr. Johnson said the obtaining of colours depends a good deal on the technique of the test? — Yes.

Witness said that Dr. Dudding's techniques were not correct but the third one was nearer correct. He admitted that when a brass rod was drawn across the bottom of the testing glass it would leave a purple stain. Mr. Meredith: If It were ordinary tank water, could you get a purple colour with bicromate with the addition of sulphuric acid.?—No. Mr. Meredith: As a professor of chemistry, a knowledge of strychnine is part of your professional duty?— Yes. Witness said he would expect an unskilled person to discriminate in tastes. The purple colour could come from other substance than strychnine. The test for strychnine depended upon the succession of colours. Kenneth Mackenzie, surgeon practising in Auckland for 17 years, commenting on the evidence of Mrs. Gill, Mrs. Brown and Dr. Dudding said he tried to reconstruct the medical history of Mrs. Munn’s illness. He had endeavoured to criticise the symptoms and signs and to determine what the sickness was. The symptoms compared with what is known as the change of life. One of the signs was the delay of a certain periodic event which was often diagnosed by the person concerned as pregnancy. On Monday, February 3, Mrs. Munn complained of tiredness, which did not necessarily have any significance. She later had a rushed trip to town but recovered. “I know from Dr. Dudding’s evidence that next day she had blood-pressure and it is my belief that it was rising over a period of weeks, perhaps months,” Mr. Mackenzie said. Doctors were agreed that a person having this pressure should not undertake any special exertion. On Tuesday, February 4, Mrs. Munn complained of tiredness and a giddy turn. These were common symptoms with blood-pressure, but were also consistent with other cduses, notably at certain periods.

EFFECTS OF POISONING Witness could not attach any particular importance to Mrs. Gill’s finding of Mrs. Munn looking pale at 7.20 on the Tuesday. Mrs. Gill’s demonstration in Court of Mrs Munn’s sufferings was strongly indicative of strychnine poisoning, particularly the arching. On the other hand there were great discrepancies with all descriptions he had read of strychnine poisoning. The attacks in this event were preceded by twitchings and muscular contraction. The muscles of the back were stronger than those of the front of the body, and therefore caused the arching backward, witness said. The patient remained rigid and immobile. “I fully appreciate the difficulty an untrained observer has in noting the phenomena of an illness, but . such an observer should easily be able to recognise the arching of the back,” remarked the doctor. He did not regard the twitchings as described by Mrs. Gill as indicative altogether of strychnine poisoning. If strychnine played the part suggested in the first spasm then there were also added phenomena which made the attack by no means a typical one. After the first attack Dr. Dudding had found Mrs. Munn’s blood pressure to be 80 points higher than normal. The high blood pressure found in Mrs. Munn, was not due either to strychnine or to disease witness said. But there was a third possible cause, and that was change of life.

QUANTITY TAKEN Continuing, witness said that according to the evidence, at 3 o’clock or. the Wednesday afternoon, Mrs Munn was seen by Mrs. Gill and she was still twitching. It would seem extremely unlikely that a dose of strychnine administered before 7 30 in the morning, of which all tlie manifestations were over by 9 o'clock could have given rise to twitchings at * ° clock in the afternoon. If a dose of strychnine was consumed at the first attack it would not appear to him to be more than a quarter of a grain because there was no convulsive response to the stimulants Dr. Dudding her an hour and a-half later. Mr. Northcroft: What quantity do vou consider was taken on the first occasion. —About one-eighth to one-fourth of a grain, and I gather it was taken on an empty stomach.

Mr Northcroft: In as much as vou take the same view as Dr. Gunson" regarding the convulsive attack on the first day do you question the accuracy ot Mrs. Gill s demonstration as being a convulsion caused bv strychnine” Ido Ido not think Mrs. Munn couid have survived an attack of strychnine poisoning if it was as severe as Mrs. Gill described. His Honour: Do I understand from you that she had not touched strychmae?—l cannot nay that. l ean

only say that the attack was which could be caused by stryeil'*' -SPECULATION'* “I believe,” said witness, ' that.. the time that Mrs. Munn mad statement to Mrs. Gill that si! ?* lost the use of her legs, anaf. ** (Mrs. Munn) believed it to h„ then it was a manifestation of ous disease which we know L ”7’ teria. and which can well be ciated with the emotionalism 2!* she showed. Had Dr. Duddine t of this emotionalism, of this lar type, loss of the power of tiT?* he might well have looked fo . *** psychic cause, due to anxiety at this time of life mav have “It has come to me.'now all over, to wonder if Mrs. Mhlg any of those emotions." said tit ** "She may have sensed that sobiT? 5 ’ was wrong and that some woman was coming into her huikSy life, and with this she would subject to an emotional eondhw ' Mr. Meredith: But you are s. speculating. His Honour: You are not her. speculate Mr. Mackenzie. n * Mr. Northcroft: Excuse me I am bound to say. Mr. Ajaekenz' have had nothing but all other witnesses. Mr. Mackenzie said that Dr. I> u e,,.. had no particular anxiety about V Munu on Thursday when the 7 woman had cramp. Fifty-four 2? had elapsed since the only known ‘ vulsive attack, and witness did* consider that the original caused the cramps on the Thunt? Painful uneasiness of the legs mi* marked feature of certain cases v‘ the type of blood-pressure at a cen" time of life. Mrs. Munu had sug e ,* palpitation, which was common »• women at a certain time. The tf of a broom falling, in witness’s J, ion, was just as consistent as a s‘ of nigh emotion and nervous ten/l as with the presence of a -mall s, ! of strychnine. Mr. Mackenzie those there was no doubt that on Tnew.', Mrs. Munn suffered from cjnraisk caused by strychnine poisoning, vt resulted in her death. Mr. Northcroft: What is your tv, of Mrs. Munn having suffer'd conn, ently from high blood presa-, throughout her illness until her —I feel very strongly that it caused through high hloodpress-. throughout the week. -SOMETHING ELSE” The witness said that Mrs. Gflu demonstration was acceptable up a point as indicative of strychnin*%■ he considered that there was mrs. thing else. His reason for not acre; ing strychnine as the cause was tfV there was no relaxation. The pifi*; remained quiet until another cent: sion came on. And, even an ohsmsas inexpert as Mrs. Gill could not ft; to notice the intermission, he said Mr. Northcroft questioned the wi ness concerning the frequency ir persistence with which women wot: take reckless measures to avoid pre: nancy, even though they had diu nosed their condition wrongly. “We find that there are agnU many women, nowadays, though an ; ried, who are strongly averse fro: having more than one or two rh2r ren,” Mr. Mackenzie said. "As a'■ suit, they resort to various means terminating an undesirable conditr and take many* measures to that n: Many give the first trial to drugs, number of which have the repute giving assistance. Wc find them doit.a number of unusual things. We b: one case in Auckland where ifc ■ patient drank ammonia with the ids of making herself ill for a cent: effect,” witness continued. “A gn; many took the chance of being S! a dangerous degree. In the case ns: tioned, the woman had made * vne diagnosis of herself. A manwoman only that day bad said. *‘lt’ give anything to get rid of this.” Questioned as to the lengths which women would go, Mr. Mack zie said that resorting to instnun®. interference, often with some damn was frequent. Witness had a patk who told him that she had eight tin had an instrument used before : desired result was obtained. Mr. Northcroft: It is stated inn* cal authority that some women. IP ing decided upon a certain count, v not be deterred. —We have had exP ordinary cases of lengths to vte women will go. Do you agree that these deepen measures are undertaken even in ca* where a certain condition has pro” wrong?—That is so. BITTER TASTE Mr. Mackenzie said that he totested strychnine and salts mixed,® by tasting the mixture found » strychnine was predominant ani : poison was so bitter that he heUewf it would be impossible to admieis a lethal dose in this way vittoe - person detecting that it was not fCsalts. ; His Honour commented tliat - furred tongue did not prevent apestasting castor oil. { Cross-examined by Mr. Mate j witness said he had been ****?!■ counsel for the defence and had o*4 more than usual interest in the avj He agreed that he had not adn Mr. Northcroft to question Mrs.» as to the duration of the rigidity f had noticed in Mrs. Munn. Her fessed that he had never nine attack and therefore did notIH the knowledge in this respect el R Dudding and Dr. Gunson, who I done so. He admitted that ™**U the symptoms described by i were typical of strychnine. Ji Mr. Meredith: Can you indicats'■ i symptom set out in the &tandarf*l book that Mrs. Gill did not ; strate?—No. « In the face of that and in tie I of five medical men who said i strychnine poisoning, do yon , for one moment that there vr*® j other conclusion than strycav' , poisoning?—Yes. «, Witness said he gathered th* , i Munn had remained rigid was carried to bed. He was sP***"^ : from memory. .*■ Reference was made to the and it was found that rigid condition was mingled ference to twitchings of the h® r Mr. Meredith: Because ** i omission are you as a res \Z ' [ medical man ready to throw o ! whole of her evidence althoug*^ I demonstrated every known sy®w | —Certainly many of the tht«® | demonstrated were most I i gestive of strychnine she to some extent invalid®®®, I diagnosis by the manner in way j insisted on the continuity spasm. -j I If Dr. Dudding said He belie first convulsion lasted for n . I hour and that it was still , witness would certainly cisag.— g | him. (rli ; Mr. Meredith quoted l Utioc " j authority who placed the the spasm at from a Q uar ~ i minute to an hour and r, k j Witness: I do not Relieve f! , •hour and a-quarter is T K,ff “"lpgk strychnine spasm. I have r’ ; of a person who ceased to I 45 minutes. The hearing was ‘hen sd)**'