A review of the case, the people agt. Rev. Henry Budge : indicted for the murder of his wife, Priscilla Budge, tried at the Oneida, New York, Circuit Court, in August and September, 1861 : containing an examination of the medico-legal questions involved in the case, a review of the positions taken by the medical witnesses for the defence, an extended discussion of the positions assumed by the medical witnesses for the prosecution, with cuts and tables for illustration, letters and opinions from various eminent American and foreign medical jurists, together with copious abstracts from the evidence adduced, and the judge's charge in the civil action of Henry Budge agt. Caleb Lyon for libel, tried at the Herkimer Circuit in October and November, 1961 / by John Swinburne.

  • Swinburne, John, 1820-1889.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A review of the case, the people agt. Rev. Henry Budge : indicted for the murder of his wife, Priscilla Budge, tried at the Oneida, New York, Circuit Court, in August and September, 1861 : containing an examination of the medico-legal questions involved in the case, a review of the positions taken by the medical witnesses for the defence, an extended discussion of the positions assumed by the medical witnesses for the prosecution, with cuts and tables for illustration, letters and opinions from various eminent American and foreign medical jurists, together with copious abstracts from the evidence adduced, and the judge's charge in the civil action of Henry Budge agt. Caleb Lyon for libel, tried at the Herkimer Circuit in October and November, 1961 / by John Swinburne. 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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    In this connection we give the material testimony of Dr. Mott, as reported in the Rome Sentinel, Sept. * * * ' This morning Dr. Valentine Mott, the eminent New York surgeon, was placed on the stand. He testified that he had been 56 years in practice, and had many cases by throat cutting. By far the greater number of suicides by throat cutting were too high up—that is, above Adam's apple. The flow of blood from a suicidal wound of this kind would be tremendous; the flow would be very great and extending very far. In Jie case of a person lying down with head imbedded in the pillows, not only the hand inflicting- the blow would be very bloody, but there would be a great display of blood about the face and every part of the front of the person. The blood would fly in all direc- tions, and if the walls of the room were in reasonable distance, it would hit them. The face and upper part of the neck would be very bloody, and there would be a full display of blood on the headboard and wall. The right hand, forearm and razor would certainly be very bloody.' Dr. Mott's cross-examination elicited a point to which his attention had not been called of late years, and which was of vital importance to this case. In olden times it was thought that the cutting of the pneumo-gastric nerves would result in immediate death. Modern physiology shows this to be a fallacy, and that death only follows after days, while it does not inter- fere with the full and free circulation and active contractions of the heart, which continue until the body is emptied of blood. This is the case in cutting all the nerves and vessels of animals slaughtered, and in decapitations of criminals. Dr. Mott, by acknowledging this point, had also to admit that the lungs must be congested as a sequel of the heart's paralysis. Taking this theory of the case, it would account for the comparative bloodless condition of the bed, and the bloody cerum found in the pleural cavities. This fluid is not found in the cavities of animals bled to death. This did not account for the bloody finger marks on the face and right hand pillow, which were supposed to be made by a hand not materially bloody. If Mrs. Budge died instantly upon cutting the nerves, how came the tongue bitten laterally, and the bloody finger marks on the face and pillow? Of course the hand is paralyzed as well as the heart. How came her head pressed firmly backwards in the pillow, and the spot of blood on the sheet below, 12 or 14 inches square, which seemed saturated with blood. The following is from the Rome Sentinel, Sept. * * * Judge Allen—Then I would submit to you whether, after the diligent investigation we have already given to the case, you deem it best still to press for a conviction. Certainly this was a case fit for a jury to investigate. As it first presented itself to those in the neighborhood, it was a case of strong suspicion,