The Brighton poisoning case.

Date:
[1859?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Brighton poisoning case. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    THE BKIGHTON POISONING CASE. On the fourth of April. 1859 the trial of William Henry Kino4 M. D., of Brighton. C. \V\, was commenced, and concluded the following day. The case was a most remarkable one, botti in a criminal and scientific point of view. Another instance has unfortunately been added to those already on record wherein a knowledge ol medicine has been put to the worst possible purpose —wherein the physician has cruelly, persistently and remorselessly used his skill for the destrudion of life under the pretence of saving-wherein the husband has stood by the bedside of his dj ing wife, and while speaking to her words of com'ort and of hope, has betrayed her to a gradual and painful death. Fortunately for society, few men are found capable of such atrocities as this. Here and there they are to be found, but they stand pre-eminent in crime, and their names are mentioned ever afterwards as having been those of beings sca'rcely within the I orders of humanity. Though Science places m-ansof destruction within the reach of the, educated man, unknown to the wisest (four raje in days gone by ; happily, the knowledge she imparts ia not confined to tho-e who acquire it for the ratification of their unholy pas- sions. Should the power she gives be abased, in other bands she places the means of detection, and rarely tails to bring down punishment upon the man who seeks to make her a partner in crime. Never was this truth made mure manifest than in the case now before us. As the trial of t)r King is one of the most important that has ever taken place in Canada, we propose to give a short account ot the parties immediately concerned. The'priucpal actor in these sad scenes was born in the township of Sophiashurgh, Prince Edward county, in the year 1835. In 18-14, his parents removed to Cramahe, now Brighton, in Northumberland, where they purchased a farm, and by untiring industry succeeded in accumulating a con- siderable amount of prop rty. When eighteen years of age King left home, and went to the ' ormal School in Toronto. Iu that city he first commenced the study of medi iue having thus early determined to go through a regular course ol tuition so soon as he should be enabled 10 do so. Upon obtaining a hrst-class certificate, he was appointed te icher of the fourth division of the Central School, Hamilton in which situation it was part of his duty to lecture to the students on physiology. In pursuance of his determination to gain a knowledge of the healing art, he studied under Dr. Greeulees and in 1855 went to Philadelphia where he entered the Homoeopathic Medical College. Here we find him during two winter sessions^the expenses attendant upon his long stay b ing manly defrayed by bis father-in law, Mr. Lawson. In proof of the as-iduity with which he pursued his stndi s, he produces three diplomas : one from the coll-ge p'eviou-ly mentioned ; a second from the Pennsylvania Medical University in Philadelphia ; and a third from the Eclectic Medical College, also ol Philadelphia. In 1858, he returned to the village of Brighton and immediately commenced the, practice of medicine. In this he se, m< to have been very successful, at any rate he gain*d the confidence of many people. His receipts, it is reported, avenged $200 per mouth, and, as he himself says, he was in a fair way to achieve both fame