Forensic medical examination of poisonings. Potent toxic substances
In cases of poisoning, a forensic medical examination is carried out to establish the cause of death or the connection of a health disorder with the action of toxic substances. The categorical conclusions of the expert largely depend on the data collected by the investigator about the circumstances of the incident and the nature of the alleged poisonous substance, the time elapsed from the moment of ingestion of the poison and the onset of death, the nature of the medical care provided, the correctness of the removal and storage of objects from the corpse sent for forensic chemical research, etc. In some cases, the expert comes to a categorical conclusion about poisoning with a certain poison, in others - he just does not exclude the possibility of poisoning with a certain poison or a certain group of toxic substances that are similar in their effects on the human body (clinical and morphological manifestations).
The suspicion that death came from poisoning may also arise in cases of its unexpected onset, as if in the midst of full health. Diagnosis of death from poisoning often presents great difficulties associated with a number of objective and subjective reasons - incorrect assessment of laboratory data, significant time elapsed between the intake of poison and death, the similarity of clinical manifestations in case of poisoning and certain diseases, etc.
To prove the poisoning that took place, materials collected by the investigation containing information about the circumstances of the incident are used; data of a forensic medical examination of the victim (in case of non-fatal poisoning) and data; data of forensic chemical and other laboratory studies of objects found at the scene, obtained from the attending physicians, seized during the autopsy.
Investigation materials. The materials collected by the investigation about the circumstances of the incident (for example, the simultaneous sudden illness or death of several people after the joint use of an "alcoholic drink", with the development of the same painful symptoms in the victims) may directly indicate a possible poisoning. In the remains of food and drink found at the scene, in dishes, in various packaging materials from medicines, on the corpse (on the hands, at the opening of the mouth and other parts of the body), on clothes and in its pockets, the remains of the poison taken by the victim can be found . The presence of vomit may also indirectly serve as an indication of possible poisoning (the development of vomiting as a protective reaction of the body to intoxication), may contain traces of poison.
Examination of the scene and the corpse should be carried out with the participation of a specialist in the field of forensic medicine. The physical evidence found at the same time, requiring laboratory research, is sent to the Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination.
Medical documents (outpatient cards, etc.) containing a description of the course of poisoning and information about the nature of medical care must be presented to the expert in original.
Forensic examination of a corpse if poisoning is suspected, it has its own characteristics. The dissecting room must be ventilated before the autopsy in order to better capture and determine the nature of the smell felt during the autopsy of the cavities and internal organs of the corpse. Measures are taken to prevent accidental ingestion of poison during its opening. The utensils for placing the removed organs must be cleanly washed.
The clothes, underwear and other things brought along with the corpse are carefully examined in the morgue. When examining clothing items, the remains of poison can be found, to obtain poisonous medicinal substances, etc.
An external examination of the corpse can reveal an unusual color of cadaveric spots (bright pink-red in case of carbon monoxide poisoning, brown or brownish in case of poisoning with poisons that form methemoglobin in the blood, etc.), icteric skin color in case of arsenic hydrogen poisoning and mushroom poisoning; pronounced and quickly onset muscle stiffness (in case of poisoning with strychnine, cicutotoxin aconitine, etc.) burns in the form of streaks or spots on the skin in the area of the mouth, chin, cheeks (in case of poisoning with caustic substances), traces of injections at the injection sites of the poison, a sharp narrowing of the pupils (with poisoning with opium, morphine) or their sharp expansion (with poisoning with atropine, belladonna, asthmatol), irritation and ulceration on the mucous membrane of the lips and gums under the action of caustic poisons, a grayish border on the gums with lead poisoning or.
When opening cavities and organs, a smell specific to some toxic substances can be felt.
In case of poisoning with many poisons, the ways of their excretion suffer - the kidneys, where characteristic changes can be detected. Many ingested substances quickly pass into the urine, are excreted in sweat and can be found on the deceased's linen and in the urine.
The data obtained during the forensic examination of the corpse must necessarily be compared with the data of the investigation and with the data obtained during the laboratory examination of the tissues and organs of the corpse.
Forensic medical examination produced for poisoning that did not lead to death. Such an examination of the victim is carried out both in the hospital and on an outpatient basis. The poisoning that takes place in such cases is proved by investigative materials, medical documents on the provision of assistance and treatment, as well as the data of the examination of the patient by an expert. Having established the fact of poisoning and the nature of its consequences, the severity of these consequences is determined, guided by the all-Union "Rules for the forensic medical determination of the severity of bodily injuries."
Great importance for the preparation of a diagnosis of poisoning with certain poisons is attached to timely laboratory studies of vomit, washings, urine.
On forensic and other laboratory tests not only parts of the internal organs seized during the autopsy are sent, but also the remains of drinks, food, vomit and other objects found at the scene that may contain a toxic substance. The choice of the type of laboratory examination of physical evidence is determined by the nature of the alleged poisonous substance. In accordance with this, chemical, physical (often spectral), histological and biological (animal experiments), botanical and other research methods are used.
The results of a forensic chemistry study should be carefully reviewed by a forensic medical examiner.
A positive result of a forensic chemical study, taken in isolation, does not yet prove the fact of poisoning, and a negative one does not exclude it. In the internal organs of a corpse, chemicals can be found, including poisonous ones, which were not a source of poisoning, but entered the human body as a medicine, with food.
The results of a forensic chemical study in case of death from poisoning can be negative for various reasons: due to the rapid release of poison from the body, the transition of the poison to other compounds that are not detected during the forensic chemical study, improper removal and preservation of organs and tissues before their study, the use of the method of investigation appropriate for a given poisoning, etc. The time elapsed from the moment of taking the poison to the onset of death and the opening of the corpse largely determines the preservation of the poison in the corpse, and, consequently, the possibility of its detection during a forensic chemical examination. However, a number of poisons can be found in corpses long after death and burial, for example, salts of heavy metals.
If it is suspected that death has come from poisoning, it is produced; the objects of forensic chemical research can be the boards of the coffin, the surrounding earth, where poisons from the corpse can get.
Control questions
1. What is the significance of the investigation materials for the diagnosis of poisoning?
2. What are the features of the examination of a corpse in case of suspected death from poisoning?
3. What data from the external and internal examination of a corpse can be used to prove death from poisoning?
4. What organs and tissues are removed from a corpse in case of suspected death from poisoning and what is the procedure for their removal?
5. How should a forensic examiner evaluate the results of a forensic chemistry study (both positive and negative)?
6. Name the most common laboratory research methods used in the diagnosis of poisoning.
To date, the topic of poisons is of interest to most of the people inhabiting our planet. And this is not surprising, because we live in a difficult time, during terrorist attacks and armed clashes, when morality is gradually being forgotten. Many are now interested in how poisons are made at home. First of all, it is worth remembering that this kind of occupation can not only deprive a person of freedom for a long time, but also be very dangerous for the manufacturer himself, since you can easily get poisoned by inhaled poisonous fumes or even dust.
What is poison?
So, first of all, let's find out what poison is. Poisons are substances that cause poisoning of the body or its death. Moreover, their action and nature depend on the dose and composition used. In this case, it is customary to divide toxic substances into twelve groups. Among them are those that affect the circulatory (hematic), nervous (neurotoxins), muscle (mitotoxins) systems, as well as those that have an effect on cells (protoplasmic poisons).
What is it made from?
Making poisons at home most often comes from some constituent plants and other improvised means. There is even a so-called list of the most toxic poisons that you can create at home. Let's consider it in more detail.
Ergot
So, in last place is a fungus that forms on rye and is called "ergot". This substance causes hallucinations, which are accompanied by inappropriate behavior, it also provokes convulsions and often gangrene of the extremities.
Foxglove (buttercup)
The plant contains poisons such as digitalis and digitoxin, which in large doses can stop the heart. At the same time, the person begins to feel dizzy at first, the pulse drops, shortness of breath appears, and then cyanosis, death occurs.
Lily of the valley
Making poisons at home can also be made from lily of the valley, because the convallomarin contained in it causes the most severe poisoning.
castor oil
Castor oil contains one of the most dangerous toxic substances - ricin, which leads to death after five days of torment. In this case, colic, vomiting, internal bleeding, destruction of tissue proteins, decomposition of the lungs are observed. It should be noted that there is currently no antidote for this poisonous substance.
Curare
Making poisons at home was practiced by the Indians of South America. They used the curare plant. An arrow soaked in its juice can kill a large animal in ten minutes.
The toadstool is also capable of killing a person, since it contains a potent poison - amanitotoxin, which cannot be destroyed even with prolonged heat treatment.
The window sill is wrinkled
Making poisons at home can also be made from the wrinkled steap, in the stems of which is the poisonous substance tremetol. By the way, it is often confused with nettle leaves, which is what caused the poisoning of several hundred people in the last century.
How are poisons used?
Thus, it is not enough to prepare poisons at home, they must also be used correctly. So, some of them are effective only when they enter the circulatory system, while in the stomach they simply decompose without harming the body.
Omega is a highly toxic substance that is part of the hemlock. Just 100 milligrams of it (8 leaves) will be enough to kill a person. Principle of operation: all systems of the body gradually fail, except for the brain. In total, you, being in your right mind, begin to slowly and painfully die until you suffocate.
The most popular hemlock was among the Greeks. Interesting fact: this plant caused the death of Socrates in 399 BC. The Greeks thus executed him for disrespect for the gods.
Source: wikipedia.org
№9 - Aconite
This poison is obtained from the wrestler plant. It causes an arrhythmia that ends in suffocation. They say that even touching this plant without gloves can end in death. It is almost impossible to detect traces of poison in the body. The most famous case of application - Emperor Claudius poisoned his wife Agrippina by adding aconite to her mushroom dish.
Source: wikipedia.org
No. 8 - Belladonna
In the Middle Ages, belladonna was used as a cosmetic for women (cheek blush). They even received special drops from the plant - to dilate the pupils (at that time it was considered fashionable). And you could also swallow the leaves of belladonna - one is just enough for a person to die. Berries are also not a miss: for death it is enough to eat only 10 pieces. From the latter in those days they made a special poisonous solution, which was used to lubricate arrowheads.
Source: wikipedia.org
No. 7 - Dimethylmercury
This is the slowest and most insidious killer. This is because even 0.1 milliliters that accidentally get on your skin will be enough for a fatal outcome. The most high-profile case: in 1996, a chemistry teacher from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire dropped a drop of poison on her hand. Dimethylmercury burned through a latex glove, symptoms of poisoning appeared after 4 months. And 10 months later, the scientist died.
Source: wikipedia.org
#6 - Tetrodotoxin
This poison is found in blue-ringed octopuses and pufferfish (fugu). Things are very bad with the first ones: octopuses deliberately attack their prey with tetrodotoxin, imperceptibly pricking it with special needles. Death occurs in a few minutes, but symptoms do not appear immediately - after paralysis sets in. The venom of one blue-ringed octopus is enough to kill 26 healthy men.
Fugu is easier: their poison is dangerous only when it is about to eat a fish. It all depends on the correctness of the preparation: if the cook is not mistaken, the tetrodoxin will all evaporate. And you will eat the dish without any consequences, except for the incredible adrenaline rush ...
Source: wikipedia.org
No. 5 - Polonium
Polonium is a radioactive poison for which there is no antidote. The substance is so dangerous that just 1 gram of it can kill 1.5 million people in a few months. The most sensational case of the use of polonium is the death of Alexander Litvinenko, an employee of the KGB-FSB. He died in 3 weeks, the reason - 200 grams of poison was found in his body.
Source: wikipedia.org
No. 4 - Mercury
- elemental mercury - found in thermometers. Instant death occurs if it is breathed in;
- inorganic mercury - used in the manufacture of batteries. Deadly if swallowed;
- organic mercury. Sources are tuna and swordfish. It is recommended to eat them no more than 170 grams per month. Otherwise, organic mercury will begin to accumulate in the body.
The most famous use case is the poisoning of Amadeus Mozart. He was given mercury tablets to treat syphilis.
In November 1984, a 78-year-old woman died from a lethal injection of green viper venom. Forensic doctors from the University of Würzburg only established this after months of research.
What happened?
"It's your fault that my marriage fell apart," the then 55-year-old swim coach told his mother-in-law on the way to church and grabbed her by the shoulders tightly. At the same time, the old woman felt a stabbing pain in her shoulder and died the same day under unclear circumstances.
As the forensic medical examination later established, the woman was injected with viper venom. Shortly after her death, a correspondence with a snake nursery was found from the trainer. He lay in wait for his mother-in-law on the way to church and played out a quarrel, during which he grabbed the victim by the shoulders. During the service, she became ill, after which she told her daughter about the meeting with her ex-husband. The doctor found a small, non-bleeding injection wound on her shoulder. A few hours later, an old woman with symptoms of paralysis was taken to the hospital, where she soon died.
Although in this case a method of murder rare for the present time is used, it nevertheless belongs to a long series of cases of deprivation of life by means of poison known for centuries. Poisoning is one of the worst ways to kill. Even during the Middle Ages, kings, in order to avoid the constant threat of poisoning, kept special servants whose duty it was to try all the dishes served on the table.
Poison is usually called a substance that causes painful manifestations or fatal consequences in the human or animal body. But since many substances, even ordinary table salt or water, taken in excessive amounts can cause serious illness or death, the concept of poison should be clarified. Poison in the proper sense of the word is understood as a substance that, when introduced into the body, even in very small quantities, can cause serious consequences, and often death.
Establishing the fact of poisoning presents serious difficulties, especially when its symptoms are vague or ambiguous and in the course of providing medical assistance to the victim cannot always be determined as the consequences of poisoning. For example, one miner who died in 1956, since his first admission to hospital in 1953, was given a variety of diagnoses, but the thought of poisoning did not arise. Nothing suspicious was found even after his death, during the autopsy. Only after information was received about the possibility of poisoning and the exhumation of the corpse was carried out, a forensic medical examination revealed the presence of thallium in the liver, kidneys and muscles. As a result, it turned out that for several years the wife of this miner added to his writing, even to the jam that she brought to the hospital, a solution of a common mineral fertilizer containing up to 2% of a strong poison. In three years she used up four or five packages of this fertilizer, the amount of poisonous substance in which, in relation to the weight of the victim, was five times the lethal dose.
In forensic practice, quite often it becomes necessary to answer the question of whether poison was used. This is especially true in cases of unnatural death. When establishing the fact of death from taking poison, it is important to find out whether there was a deliberate poisoning or suicide. It is also not excluded the erroneous intake of any poisonous substance instead of a medicine or a significant excess of the dose of the medicine prescribed by the doctor. Poisoning can be the result of a certain professional activity, and the result of eating spoiled food, taking any means to terminate a pregnancy, etc.
In the process of forensic medical research in cases of poisoning, as in no other cases, it is important to establish all the circumstances, all the signs that preceded the onset of death, since they very often indicate the fact of the use of poison, and sometimes even a specific type of poison and method its application.
On October 10, 1911, a man entered the office of Scotland Yard. He stated that he wanted to report his suspicions regarding the crime committed. He was referred to Inspector Ward.
Did you say your last name is Vonderage? asked Wardes, wanting to make sure he understood the newcomer correctly.
Yes. I am Miss Eliza Barrow's cousin.
How can I be of service to you, Mr. Wonderage?
The man hesitantly moved his chair slightly forward. For the first time in his life, he sat across from a Scotland Yard officer, and in that moment he almost regretted embarrassing the police with his suspicions. But since he is still here, he must say why he came.
I have already said that Miss Barrow is my cousin, or rather she was,” he began, stuttering.
So she died?
A month ago. But I think there's something wrong, Mr. Inspector. I have a feeling she didn't die of natural causes.
In other words, was she killed? Vonderage nodded hesitantly.
I can't prove it, but you can expect everything from this guy.
Who do you mean?
Mr Seddon. In his house, here in London, 63 Tollington Park, more than a year ago, she rented the second floor for herself and her seven-year-old nephew. Before that, they lived with me, but due to constant quarrels, she eventually left.
What were the quarrels about?
Vonderage hesitated for a moment before he said bashfully:
She accused me of extorting an inheritance. - Was Miss Barrow wealthy?
Yes. True, she was a little mentally disabled.
valuable, but despite this, thanks to the inheritance and greed, she became the owner of the house, securities, cash and jewelry. She was constantly concerned about the safety of her money and accused others of encroaching on her good. It was just disgusting! I sighed lightly when, in July 1910, she finally left.
To the second floor of the house that belongs to Mr. Seddon?
The Inspector listened patiently, betraying nothing of his feeling that what was being said was something out of the ordinary. But now he turned his attention to his counterpart.
So... why do you think he should have killed her?
You are asking so directly. However, I cannot give you such a direct answer,” Vonderage said hesitantly. Like I said, I'm only guessing. My cousin died on September 14, and on September 16 there was a funeral. However, I, her only relative, found out about this only by chance two weeks later. Of course, I immediately went to where she lived.
Why? interrupted the inspector.
I wanted to know how things are with inheritance. But the house was locked. Mr. Seddon on September 22, together with his wife and five children, went to rest on the coast. All this seemed suspicious to me. He returned only on 9 October. Of course, I immediately went to him and inquired about the remaining inheritance.
To Vonderage's questions, insurance agent Seddon replied:
Your cousin Eliza Barrow's wealth was no more than ten pounds sterling. In the meantime, I spent eleven pounds, one shilling and ten and a half pence on the funeral and care of my little nephew, so you owe me more than a pound, Mr. Vonderage, if you want to inherit.
But she had other property, not just cash! - said the disappointed cousin of the deceased.
Yes, there are a few more dresses and furniture, which I estimate to be worth about fifteen pounds. I understand this because I am an insurance agent.
And a house, securities and banknotes! I know my cousin had a certain condition!
Quite right! Seddon confirmed. “But she, having decided that I had more experience in managing and increasing her fortune, a few months before her death gave me her shares and the right to a residential building, and for this I had to pay her the appropriate rent for life. I would be very grateful to you if you would familiarize yourself with the documents confirming the correctness of my words.
As this news was received, Vonderage's face became more and more gloomy. Almost without hope, he timidly asked:
And what about cash values that could not be transferred?
It's nothing more than a legend,” Seddon stated coldly. - I'm so sorry to disappoint you.
Disappointment was reflected on Vonderage's face even now, when he told all this to Inspector Ward. Disappointment, combined with suspicion and the inability to believe what happened.
I hope, Mr. Inspector, you now understand the reason for my distrust. In any case, I would be grateful to you if you would take up this matter, ”Vonderage finished. He was glad to finally be freed from the heavy burden that lay on his heart. The composure and even indifference of the inspector did not have a very encouraging effect on him, and the inspector's consent did not sound very definite:
Okay, Mr. Vonderage, I'll look into it, but I can't promise anything will come up.
However, a lot has come to light! By November 10, Inspector Ward had identified so many suspicious circumstances that five days later the body of the deceased had to be exhumed.
Further research was carried out by a very experienced and in the past, a well-established toxicologist Willcock. With the help of the Marsh apparatus, named after its inventor James Marsh and allowing to establish the presence of thousandths of a milligram of arsenic, he soon found out that the internal organs of the deceased contained a lethal amount of this poison. It was beyond doubt to him that Eliza Barrow had died as a result of acute arsenic poisoning, as he had reported to the Inspector.
This conclusion allowed Ward to take action. On December 4, he went to the house at 63 Tollington Park, at the door of which he met the alleged poisoner.
Are you insurance agent Frederick Seddon? he turned to him.
The man looked up in surprise and nodded.
Yes. But why do you need me?
I'm arresting you on suspicion of murdering Miss Eliza Barrow by arsenic poisoning.
Unconditional confirmation of the use of "hereditary powder"
Could the experienced toxicologist Willcock be absolutely sure that the arsenic found in the corpse really was the result of poisoning?
For many years, no one knew how to establish the presence of poison in the body of the deceased, and therefore cases of murder often remained unsolved. Seventy years ago there was a period when it was already believed that a way to detect arsenic poisoning had been found, but the numerous erroneous conclusions that followed showed that the problem had not yet been solved. After all, a person receives daily small doses of arsenic with foods such as vinegar, malt, bread, marmalade and other sweets, which are stained with substances containing small amounts of this poison. Could these doses of arsenic, having accumulated in some organs, lead to incorrect conclusions when examining a corpse? In addition, arsenic compounds can also be found in the ground and penetrate into the body of a buried corpse. True, if the earth in the cemetery did not contain arsenic or contained it in small quantities, and there was a lot of it in the exhumed corpse, this certainly spoke of poisoning. But what does "a lot" or "little" mean?
Willcock has long been occupied with the idea of the need to use radically new research methods in toxicology. “I am looking for new methods to accurately determine the presence of poison in the human body,” he said repeatedly, “to ensure greater accuracy in proving the presence of this poison. How can you detect tiny parts of a milligram of arsenic in the ground in a cemetery, in a corpse, in his hair? precise quantitative methods for detecting traces of this poison."
While Willcock worked on perfecting a method for detecting very small amounts of arsenic, the time for the trial of the case was approaching. On March 4, 1912, the trial began. The jury room at the Old Bailey was full when the prosecutor and the defense began to clarify all the facts of the case. Inspector Ward was also summoned as a witness.
As can be seen from the case file, the prosecutor began, on October 14, 1910, Miss Barrow transferred her securities for 1,600 pounds, and on June 9, 1911, her tenement house in the name of Mr. Seddon. In return, he had to pay her a weekly annuity of three pounds for life. Is that correct, Inspector?
Please tell the court what you found out about the cash that Ms. Barrow had.
Well, she had £400 in her bank account. When this bank ran into financial difficulties in the summer of 1911, Miss Barrow, under the influence of Seddon, took the entire deposit and hid it with her jewels in the bedroom.
Therefore, by this time, her entire fortune was either in the hands of Seddon, or in his house? the accuser asked.
Yes exactly
That day, Seddon's daughter Maggie bought a package of arsenic paper to kill flies from Thorley's.
A few days later, Eliza Barrow fell ill with vomiting, diarrhea, and pain, as confirmed by Dr. Sworn, who lived next door. Is this true, Inspector?
Yes. The doctor suggested that the patient go to the hospital, but out of greed she declined this offer and preferred to be looked after by Miss Seddon.
The accuser bowed and, addressing the audience, emphasizing every word, said:
We all know the result. She spent twelve days, gradually dying, in bed, in the same room where her little nephew was.
After a short pause, he again turned to the inspector.
Eliza Barrow screamed so loudly that she could be heard on the lower floor of the house.
What did she scream?
- "I'm dying!"
There was absolute silence in the hall, no one moved, afraid to miss a word.
Did Mr. Seddon call the doctor again? - continued the interrogation of the accuser.
No. As he later explained to me, he considered it superfluous. He waited in the corridor until the patient died. After that, he immediately began searching in her room.
He later claimed to have found only ten pounds. But his employees saw him counting gold in the early hours of the morning. Is that true, Inspector?
Yes. In addition, he appeared with the deceased's ring at the jeweler's and instructed him to remove the engraved initials of Eliza Barrow's mother. After that, he made large deposits in banks, and then went to Dr. Sworn, who, without examining the deceased, issued a death certificate.
What was the stated cause of death?
Infectious diarrhea.
Seddon's lawyer, Edward Marshall Gull, a London lawyer well versed in medical matters, raised many objections to Inspector Ward's testimony.
This is the darkest case I have ever dealt with, he said before the trial.
Although he was convinced of the guilt of his client, he defended him as innocent. His strategic line was to sway the conclusion of the Willcock expert.
As you know, - began Willcock, - until recently it was impossible to weigh the mirror coating of arsenic obtained in studies using the Marsh apparatus. But I nevertheless established that if a predetermined amount of pure arsenic is passed through the Marsh apparatus, thereby obtaining samples of mirror plaques, then they can be compared with the mirror plaque formed during the study of tissue particles containing arsenic, and thereby determine its quantitative content. Since I had enough samples of mirror deposits of arsenic, corresponding to quantities from a milligram to two hundredths of it, it became possible by comparison to establish the weight content of arsenic in the objects under study.
Dr. Willcock's presentation of the nature of his investigations took quite a long time.
For example, the entire stomach weighed 105 grams, he continued. - I took 0.525 grams of stomach tissue, that is, two hundredth of it. I passed this amount through the Marsh apparatus and compared the resulting mirror coating of arsenic with hundreds of samples I had, thereby establishing the weight content of arsenic in the gastric particle subjected to the study. I multiplied this amount by 200 and came to the conclusion that there were 7.3 milligrams of arsenic in the tissues of the stomach. All other organs were examined in the same way, as were the skin, bones, and muscles. The analysis performed showed that, even excluding hair, skin and bones, the arsenic content in the corpse was 131.57 milligrams. This undoubtedly proves the presence of fatal poisoning, - Dr. Willcock's final conclusion was.
But as it became clear during two days of cross-examination of the expert, Seddon Gull's defense lawyer took a different point of view, and a fierce scientific dispute broke out at the Old Bailey in London over the problems of toxicology.
We heard Mr. Willcock talking about how he calculated the total amount of arsenic in a corpse,” the defense lawyer said, addressing the jury, who had difficulty grasping the essence of the expert’s scientific explanations and were better able to perceive the lawyer’s rather skillful and more understandable counterarguments. - He multiplied the data of individual analyzes, and he operated with very large numbers: he multiplied the results of the study of kidney tissue by 60, the stomach by 200, and the muscles even by 2000. Did I correctly name the numbers, Mr. Willcock?
Of course, you understand that the smallest error in determining the weight as a result of multiplication increases incredibly and leads to fatal consequences.
Yes,” Willcock said in all seriousness, “I know that.
Then I want to touch on your calculations of the presence of poison in the muscles in more detail. You multiplied the amount of poison found in the muscle tissue sample by 2000. Eliza Barrow's exhumed body weighed 60 pounds, and you applied the general rule that muscle mass is two-fifths of the total body weight.
Yes, it is true.
Well, let's move on, ”Gall said with satisfaction. - In life, Eliza Barrow weighed 140 pounds, and now only 60. Severe weight loss was the result of tissue dehydration. Muscles, however, contain more water than the rest of the body. This is right?
Yes, absolutely.
Well, if they contain more moisture, they should lose more weight than other organs. Doesn't the rule that muscles make up two-fifths of the weight of the whole body change in this case? Shouldn't your multiplication by 2000 lead to incorrect conclusions under these conditions? - Saying all this, the defender threw victorious glances into the hall, then looked witheringly at his opponent - it seemed that he was ready to deal him a mortal blow. “I am sure, Dr. Willcock, that you have not foreseen this circumstance in your calculations.
I do not exclude that a small mistake could have been made in them, - the toxicologist admitted (at the same time, he did not at all seem as destroyed as Gall hoped to see him). “But this in no way changes the basic tenets of my work. Some shifts in weight ratio are not of serious importance, since I did not take into account many parts of the body affected by the poison.
Still, Gall succeeded, although so far only to a small extent, to sow doubt among the jury. But he hasn't finished arguing yet.
Let us now turn to the content of arsenic in the hair of the head,” he continued calmly. - We know that after a short time after ingestion, arsenic penetrates the hair, and first of all it is concentrated in the part of the hair that is closer to the scalp. Since hair lengthens by about one and a half centimeters every month, arsenic, along with growing hair, moves further and further. Thus, the farther from the surface of the head arsenic is found in the hair, the more time has passed since the onset of poisoning. Right?
You found eight hundredths of a milligram of arsenic in the part of the hair closest to the scalp. So?
Exactly, - confirmed Dr. Willcock.
And how much arsenic did you find in the part of the hair furthest from the head?
Approximately a quarter of the total amount contained in the hair of the head, - read the answer.
And despite this, you claim that Eliza Barrow died of acute arsenic poisoning, that is, from the poison that she began to take in the last two weeks before her death!
Triumph shone in the eyes of the defender. Now he was about to strike a decisive blow against the expert's skillfully crafted system of evidence. There was metal in his voice as he asked another question.
How does your statement about acute poisoning fit with the presence of poison in the ends of the hair? After all, with arsenic poisoning, it takes about ten months for the poison to reach the ends of hair fifteen centimeters long. How to explain the fact that arsenic ended up in the ends of the hair in two weeks? Should it not be accepted under the circumstances that Eliza Barrow began taking arsenic about a year before her death?
At first Willcock was clearly embarrassed, and in a certain confusion said:
Over a year ago...
Yes, Mr Willcock. And if this is so, and there is no doubt about it, then your conclusion is erroneous and the accusation of my client of murder is no longer necessary!
While the defender, celebrating his victory, continued to bombard the expert with questions, Willcock searched intensely for an answer. But what if arsenic penetrated the hair after death, when, in the process of decomposition of the corpse, a liquid containing this poison was released from it? Yes, that's the only way to explain it.
Well, Mr. Willcock," the defender advancing indefatigably, "you will probably agree that it is best to withdraw your opinion. Or maybe you came up with a solution to the problem that has arisen?
But instead of drooping from the devastating taunt, Willcock unexpectedly countered.
Yes, there is a factor, about which I did not say. The hair was saturated with a liquid containing arsenic released from the corpse.
Gall almost choked with indignation and angrily objected:
This is nothing but a new assumption, which the jury will certainly not believe!
But Willcock did not remain in debt, trying to prove the correctness of his conclusion. As soon as the cross-examination was over, he hurried to St. Mary's Hospital and, taking a tuft of arsenic-free hair from another corpse, placed it in the remaining liquid from Eliza Barrow's coffin. As shown by subsequent analysis, the hair was completely saturated with arsenic. It was possible to remove it from the hair only with acetone.
Well, Mr. Expert, what results have you now arrived at?
The arsenic entered Eliza Barrow's hair from the outside rather than coming naturally from the body. Due to the speed of poisoning and death, the latter was impossible.
The arguments of the defender were rejected, and two days later the jury found Seddon guilty, and his wife, who was prosecuted for aiding, not guilty. On April 13, 1912, Seddon was executed by hanging.
The method proposed by Willcock for the quantitative analysis of the poison found in the corpse received legal confirmation. In the future, this method was repeatedly improved, as a result of which its results became more and more accurate.
Today, even atomic research data are used for such analyzes, especially when it comes to establishing the presence of arsenic in hair by radiological methods. Since arsenic belongs to the group of metallic poisons, it can be made radioactive under the influence of neutrons, after which its radiations are measured and, depending on the degree of their intensity, the quantitative content of arsenic is established.
Arsenic is mined, but sometimes it is found in wells and springs. It has been known since ancient times. When, in the 8th century, the Arab alchemist Geber received a gray, odorless and tasteless powder in his alchemical kitchen, he did not imagine that arsenic, like its various compounds, would probably play a major role among other means of murder for many years. Poisoners will mix this tasteless and odorless poison into food and drink. Because of this criminal use, arsenic has been aptly named "ancestral powder".
Once upon a time, arsenic compounds were used to color wallpaper, as a means of controlling pests of potatoes and grapes. Miners who extracted arsenic in mining, for some reason believed that it increased potency, and added it in small quantities to writing. The body is able to get used to arsenic and, with constant use, painlessly tolerates rather large doses of it. The lethal dose is 150 - 200 mg of the so-called arsenic trioxide, obtained by heating arsenic in oxygen. In everyday life, such names as "white arsenic flour" or simply "rat poison" are also used. In everyday life, other arsenic compounds are also known: double acetic-arsenic copper salt ("Paris greens"), arsenic-acid lead and arsenic-acid calcium. Arsenic finds many uses in medicine.
In connection with the widespread use of arsenic, it is necessary, in the presence of signs of poisoning, first of all to be interested in the nature of the professional activity of the victim. For example, whether he works in agriculture, primarily in horticulture and winemaking, in foundry production, in an enterprise for the production of medicinal substances. If all this disappears, then poisoning can be suspected.
"Hereditary powder" was often used by poisoners, and because the external signs of its effects are almost indistinguishable from the manifestations of such a widespread disease in former times as cholera. The criminals did not abandon it even after the chemist James Marsh managed to develop a method for detecting traces of arsenic in 1836. Today he is in to a large extent replaced by thallium, which, however, does not mean the complete disappearance of cases of arsenic poisoning.
Poisonous Chocolate Mushroom
Poisoning or death from natural causes? Again and again, the criminal police confronts this issue, and often after a forensic chemical expert study, the initial assumption of poisoning disappears. So, for example, an American soldier was suspected of poisoning a seventeen-year-old girl who was sorting out relations with him in connection with an alleged pregnancy. The girl, having drunk a glass of some drink offered to her by her lover, staggered out of the room and died in convulsions in the corridor, while the American tried to hide. At first glance, what happened seemed like a crime, but after chemical and forensic research, this assumption was discarded. Accident. The alleged poisoned drink turned out to be ordinary whiskey, while an autopsy showed that the girl died from sudden cerebral bleeding caused by a rupture of a previously affected vessel.
Suicides often resort to poison, most often to sleeping pills and painkillers, as well as to other drugs - depending on what they manage to get.
Without toxicological research, it is likely that many poisonings would have remained unsolved. So, the family doctor of an 85-year-old woman who was sick with epilepsy and had a severe heart defect, could only state the onset of death. Although the doctor believed that death was due to heart and vascular insufficiency, he was surprised by the strange behavior of the daughter of the deceased, as well as the convulsions observed before death, so he insisted on an autopsy. When analyzing the contents of the stomach, a significant amount of strychnine was found in pieces of orange. It turned out that the daughter suggested to her mother that she dip the orange slices in the sugar-like powder of strychnine. The old woman, apparently, did not feel the bitterness. Strychnine, a poison contained in the seeds of tropical plants, is now used only to control rodents, but was previously used as a remedy, for example, as an antidote for poisoning with sleeping pills.
In another case, a man with a long history of heart disease was found dead on the floor near the couch at night. The summoned doctor already wanted to issue a death certificate, but refrained, as the relatives of the deceased, without explaining the reasons, stated that they suspected his wife of the murder. At autopsy, traces of the chemical preparation E-605, intended to control pests of agricultural plants (insecticide), were found in the stomach and intestines of the deceased. The wife poured this poison into a bottle of beer, which her husband then emptied halfway.
The Worms murder is just one of a long line of poisonings with E-605, an organic ester of phosphoric acid. This use began, as it is now known, shortly after the Second World War, but the first crime was solved in 1954. This murder in Worms was probably the "crime of the century" for the German state. Its disclosure led to the establishment of the truth in a number of other cases of similar poisonings.
The victim was a young soldier's widow, Anna Hamann. The assumption that the cause of her sudden death was poisoning led the criminal police inspector Dagman to delay permission to bury the corpse and turn to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Mainz, to Professor Wagner.
We don't know much yet, Professor," said Dagman, shrugging his shoulders regretfully.
And yet, Inspector, what you know may be of use to me. Please tell!
The inspector sat down in the chair offered to him and began his summary.
On the afternoon of February 15, Anna Hamann came home and started looking for something to eat. On a plate in the kitchen cabinet, she saw a cake, or rather, a chocolate mushroom with cream inside. She couldn't resist tasting it, took a bite and swallowed a little, then spat the rest out on the floor in disgust.
Probably because the cream turned out to be bitter, concluded Professor Wagner.
Yes, probably. The domestic dog, a white spitz, rushed to this spat out sweetness and swallowed it.
What followed next can be predicted step by step.
Anna Hamann turned pale, swayed, tried to lean on the table and called out to her mother, who was sitting in the room: "Mom, I can't see anything anymore!" She still had the strength to stagger into the bedroom, where she collapsed onto the bed, writhing in convulsions until she passed out.
The doctor, probably, could only establish the fact of death, - said Wagner.
Yes, but from the very beginning he did not believe in natural death, since a white Spitz lay on the floor in the kitchen, also dead.
Probably poison... The Inspector nodded.
Apparently, the poison was in the chocolate mushroom.
Did a young woman's seizures come on suddenly?
Yes. When can we expect toxicology results that we could use?
It's completely unpredictable, Inspector. While we try all possible methods of identifying the poison leading to convulsions, some time will pass. And if it turns out to be a new, previously unfamiliar poison, then even a very long time may pass.
Initially, in an atmosphere of general confusion, suspicion and accusations against neighbors and acquaintances of the victim, forensics in Worms tried to establish how the deadly chocolate mushroom got into her house. First of all, they interrogated Eva Roux, the 75-year-old mother of the late Anna Hamann.
Yes, Mr. Inspector, I was at the same time, I saw how my daughter died in terrible agony, - the old woman explained, shaking in sobs. - It was terrible!
We are very sorry, Ms. Roux, that we have to ask you to remember this, but it is important for us to establish how everything happened. So I ask you to answer a few questions.
Yes, yes, of course, Mr. Inspector, ask.
When did the chocolate mushroom appear in the house?
On Sunday.
So, just a day before your daughter died?
Yes. I was just sitting in the kitchen with my son and neighbor while my daughter was showing us her masquerade dress. And then Christ came in.
Who is she?
Christa Lehmann, lives nearby. She sat down next to us and put a bag on the table. It contained cakes - chocolate mushrooms with cream, five pieces.
And you all started eating them?
Yes, - the old woman confirmed and continued after some thought: - Christ gave one cake to a neighbor, another to my daughter and a third to my son.
But there were five cakes in the bag, as you said. Did Christ eat them too?
She gave me the last cake, but I did not eat it, although she persistently offered Christ.
Why did you refuse?
I answered Christa that I would eat it in the evening, before going to bed.
But you didn’t eat it, but put it on a plate and put it in the kitchen cabinet.
The old woman nodded.
The next day, your daughter Anna found this chocolate mushroom in the kitchen cabinet and took a bite of it.
The memory of the terrible death of her daughter caused a new burst of sobs in the old woman, but then she gathered her strength. Her face hardened and hatred flashed in her eyes as she cried out:
I had to immediately throw this accursed mushroom into the garbage can, or even better - just kick Christa out. She is to blame for everything! She!
What do you have in mind? asked the inspector.
You know, Mr. Inspector. You still find out everything. Each of the neighbors is well aware of this.
Christa led my daughter down a bad road. She is a prostitute, a real prostitute! And she dragged my daughter into it. She said that Anna should take everything she can from life while she is young. When she is old, not a single rooster will crow for her. And as is often the case, Mr. Inspector, my daughter could not resist. From the time her husband died in the war, she gradually, step by step, became more and more immoral. I tried to make up for everything that I supposedly missed. In this she constantly convinced Christ. And if something like this begins, then it is difficult to stop, so everything rolls downhill.
Is Christa Lehmann unmarried or just like your daughter, a soldier's widow?
She was married. Her husband died about two years ago, apparently from a perforated stomach ulcer. After his death, she began to behave even more ugly, and this despite the three children. How can she not be ashamed!
The investigation of the case by the criminal police of Worms continued, but the picture has not yet cleared up.
Strange! said Steinbach, a colleague of Inspector Dagman. - Neither Anna Hamann, nor her brother, nor Christ Lehmann, nor a neighbor complained of feeling unwell. So the cakes they ate together were harmless. What happened to the chocolate mushroom that Mrs. Roux saved for her granddaughter?
Yes, that's the question, - answered Dagman.
Was the mushroom poisoned beforehand? Or had someone filled him with poison while he lay in the kitchen, perhaps specifically to kill the child for whom the sweet was intended?
Who, exactly, needed to kill the child? Grandma? An absolutely absurd thought.
Or perhaps the mother herself, Steinbach suggested, since the child interfered with her in her love affairs?
No, it's even more incredible, - Dagman shook his head. - If the poisoner was Anna Hamann, then she certainly would not have bitten off a piece of this chocolate mushroom. Who should have been the victim? Anna Hamann? If so, then the next question is who is the killer? Her brother? But this is ruled out, they got along very well with each other. Maybe mother? After all, she was very worried about the shameful lifestyle of her daughter. But how could she kill her own child? No, you can't believe it! The murderer could also be a person unknown to us who hated Anna Hamann or the entire Roux family. But against this is the circumstance that none of the outsiders entered the house after Sunday afternoon, when they were all sitting together in the kitchen. Consequently, no outsider had the opportunity to poison the cake after it had been placed in the kitchen cupboard.
In general, first of all we must thoroughly interrogate Christa Lehmann. I wonder what she will tell us.
Crime cops visited Christa Lehmann in her shabby house. This short and certainly not seductive woman, it seemed, still did not come to her senses after the death of her friend.
What do I know about this whole story, Mr. Inspector? she repeated Dagman's question. "I still can't figure out how this happened... My best friend... is dead... so suddenly...
Is it true that you brought the cakes and handed them out?
Certainly. The day before, I bought them at the Wortman trading house, by the way, together with Anna, ”she replied casually.
And then?
Then ... - Christ thought - then we broke up. I went home to see what my children were doing.
And on Sunday, you visited the Roux family and brought five cakes with you?
That's right, Inspector. What happened next, you know. I keep thinking: why did four chocolate mushrooms do no harm to anyone, and the fifth one killed my best friend? Maybe some of the cakes that were sold in the store were poisoned and just this came across to me, and I, without suspecting anything, gave it to my friend? If this is really so, Mr. Inspector, then I never ask myself this!
Christa Lehmann made such a favorable impression on the police that there was no doubt about her innocence.
If you suspect her of a crime, - said one of the forensic experts, Erhard, - then the poison was intended for the widow Ru, because it was she who gave the poisoned cake.
But why did she have to kill the old woman? Steinbach objected. - No, it is more likely that during the mass production of these chocolate mushrooms, the poison got into some of the products somewhere during production.
So it's an accident? Dagman said. Steinbach shrugged.
Maybe. But a mentally ill person could also be involved.
That is, a psychopath who had something to do with making, packaging or mailing cakes?
Yes. It is with poisoning that cases of such murders are most often associated, when the killer receives sadistic satisfaction, knowing that people are dying somewhere, no matter what.
In addition, he gets the satisfaction of sending the police on the wrong track, forcing them to suspect the murder of the innocent, - added Erhard.
Inspector Dagman nodded.
We must immediately begin an investigation in the confectionery department of the Wortman Trading House, seize all remaining cakes and send them for examination for poison.
I propose, in addition, to warn the population by radio about the dangers of eating chocolate mushrooms from the Wortman trading house, Steinbach said.
If even one of the seized cakes contains poison," Dagman continued, "we must look for the culprit among the store's staff and its suppliers.
So, a huge investigation, - Steinbach sighed.
If the poison is not found in the cakes, then it is almost certain that Anna Hamann died from the poison, which nevertheless got into the chocolate mushroom on the way from the store to Widow Roux's kitchen cabinet.
At the Institute of Forensic Medicine, the corpse was examined for the presence of strychnine and other alkaloids (the so-called various organic substances obtained from tropical and subtropical plants, which, in certain doses, are deadly. For example, quinine, morphine, cocaine, nicotine). But all analyzes did not give results.
Keep looking! It must be some kind of spasmodic poison, which is still unknown to us, or, more precisely, which has not been used for poisoning before and therefore has not been studied by toxicology.
Does such a thing even exist?
But how! New means of protecting plants from pests, as well as means of combating insects, are constantly emerging. These are all highly toxic substances. For example, I can name the recently proposed remedy E-605. This is a new drug developed by Bayer, with a strong toxic effect on pests of agricultural plants of various types. Several facts are known when the accidental ingestion of a relatively small amount of this substance into the mouth caused severe convulsions.
E-605, the inspector muttered. - Such a tool, probably, anyone can buy without any difficulty in a household goods store. Christa Lehmann could also buy it.
Of course, Inspector. But don't jump to conclusions. There have been no fatal poisonings with E-605 so far. Therefore, I am unlikely to find it in further research.
But it happened differently.
Further study of the contents of the stomach of the deceased led Wagner and his assistants to completely unexpected results. Reagents described in the literature and special procedures for their use were used. Staining of preparations of the contents of the stomach turned out to be characteristic of the presence of E-605.
At the same time, forensic scientists, despite the absence of suspicions about Christa Lehmann, nevertheless once again engaged in a thorough study of her personality. The resulting picture was unfavorable.
Seen in thefts, - Inspector Dagman began his information to other colleagues, - in manipulations on the black market. A penchant for alcohol, unpaid bills, wild scandals and fights with an ex-husband and father-in-law, frequent relationships with different men. But what is especially alarming is the sudden death of her husband, in just half an hour. Before dinner, he went to the hairdresser, and when he returned home and had dinner, he died in terrible agony.
Perforation of the stomach in connection with the existing tumor, then the doctor concluded, - Erhard explained. - But his death was accompanied by convulsions, which resemble the picture of the death of Anna Hamann.
His colleagues were of the same opinion.
Then, a year later, in October 1953, the unexpected death of a father-in-law, Dagman added. - Half an hour after breakfast, he suddenly fell dead from his bicycle while riding through the city. Was there a murder of her husband and father-in-law here? ..
Yes, - said Steinbach, - Lehmann had motives for this: both men prevented her from leading the desired lifestyle.
Dagman glanced questioningly at his colleagues.
But why would she kill old Ru?
This was soon found out by the criminal police. Immediately after the funeral of Anna Gamann, still at the cemetery, Christ Lehmann was arrested. She denied everything for several days, but finally confessed.
After some time, she also confessed to the murder of her husband and father-in-law, also using the drug E-605, which she added to chocolate and kefir. Both corpses were exhumed and examined for the presence of E-605. The results were positive. The chain of evidence is closed. Christa Lehmann was sentenced to life in prison.
So, scientists working in the field of forensic toxicology have managed to identify a previously unknown poison. Since that time, the presence of E-605 in the corpse has been established easily. Upon opening, a characteristic smell is felt, similar to that which happens in carpentry workshops that use solvents. The drug E-605, which appears on sale under various names, is a brownish oily liquid with a sharp, sweet-garlic odor. This organic phosphorus compound has a strong effect on insects - agricultural pests. The drug penetrates through the chitinous shell of insects and changes their metabolism.
In order to kill a person, you need a very small amount of it. In the acute stage, poisoning is manifested by the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, feeling depressed, retching, dizziness, severe pain throughout the body, cold sweat, convulsions, blue skin and, as a result, loss of consciousness. Death occurs most often within a few minutes after the drug enters the body, but sometimes within an hour.
To drown out the disgusting smell of E-605, poisoners add it to coffee, milk, soups, lemonade, alcoholic drinks and the like. Because of its fast and reliable action, and also because of its availability, E-605 has become a favorite tool for suicides. They, as practice shows, use it much more often than criminals.
Poison that leaves no trace
It is not always possible to recognize poisoning by its symptoms. True, the external signs of the effects of inhaled or ingested poisons, as well as painkillers and sleeping pills, are quite unambiguous and well known, so that in the vast majority of cases a correct conclusion can be drawn. But there are a number of signs, such as nausea, vomiting, convulsions, which may well have a different cause. In addition, the presence of not every poison can be established by chemical research. Particularly important in proving the fact of poisoning is the most thorough work of the criminal police, aimed primarily at the fastest possible search for the poison and its determination.
Many external signs may suggest poisoning, such as dilated or constricted pupils, staining of the nails, gums, urine, yellowing of the skin, hair loss, plaque on the lips, paralysis, agitation, or, conversely, drowsiness. But the criminal police often assume poisoning in cases where the listed signs are absent. The position of the body, traces of vomiting, the presence of nearby dishes with leftover food and drink with an unusual smell may suggest a possible poisoning. Sudden death of a healthy person is also always suspicious.
The circle of suspects is usually small, since rarely a stranger will treat any poisoned food or drink, and the poison will not be sent by mail. Most often, the poisoner is someone from the immediate environment of the victim. Therefore, in doubtful cases, the relationship of the victim with the spouse, relatives and acquaintances is necessarily clarified in order to identify possible motives for the murder (this is usually hatred, envy, the desire to receive an inheritance, jealousy).
With suspected poisoning, a quick autopsy is especially important. If after the autopsy signs of poisoning are not revealed, or if any other important circumstances are established, then separate parts of the corpse are seized for later research on the presence of poison. Since research on poison is very complex and lengthy, it is important for a toxicologist to have at least some hints about what kind of poison could be used. If nothing is known, then the criminal police officers sometimes have to wait for a conclusion for a very long time. This is especially true in cases where a poison has been used that does not leave obvious traces.
On the night of May 4-5, 1957, forensic sergeant Naylor from the criminal investigation department of the English city of Bradford drove up to the house of nurse Kenneth Barlow. Barlow's wife passed out while taking a bath. The doctor called by the neighbors pronounced him dead, but under such unusual circumstances that he decided to notify the police.
Are you Mr Barlow? - the sergeant asked the young man who met him on the threshold of the house.
Where is the doctor?
Here, sergeant, the doctor said as he left the room. - I would like to show you the bath right away ...
Please.
Barlow watched silently as the doctor and the sergeant made their way up to the second floor, where the bathroom and bedroom were. The bathtub was drained, and thirty-year-old Elizabeth Barlow lay on her side with her arms folded as if in a dream. Apparently, while she was sitting in the bath, she began to vomit, she lost consciousness and, having found herself with her head in the water, choked. There were no signs of violence, but unusually dilated pupils drew attention to themselves.
I think that the deceased was under the influence of some kind of drug, - the doctor explained to the sergeant. At least that's my guess. But you listen to the story that Mr. Barlow tells. Unfortunately, I have to leave now.
Please. Give me your address, doctor.
Yes, of course, here is my business card.
Thank you.
The sergeant followed the doctor down the stairs and into the living quarters on the first floor, where Kenneth Barlow had been waiting for him the whole time. He gave the impression of a man completely depressed by what had happened.
Well, what happened, Mr. Barlow? The sergeant started talking.
I still can't get over...
Please tell me everything in order.
So we had a free day today. My wife works in a laundry and I'm a nurse in a hospital. The wife was very tired, in addition, she was expecting a child and did not feel very healthy. At five o'clock we had tea and she immediately went to bed, but exactly at half past seven I had to wake her up, as she was interested in one program on television.
Did she watch this show?
Not all. Even during the transmission, she again went to bed, because, as I have already said, she did not feel well.
How did it manifest itself? Did she have headaches?
She was very sick and even vomited, - Barlow said quite calmly, without stammering. - That's how it started. All linen on the bed was stained. I changed it and went to rest myself. Soon the wife began to complain of fever, bouts of sweating and decided to take a bath. And I fell asleep. When I woke up at eleven o'clock, the bed next to me was empty.
So your wife was still in the bathroom?
Yes. I hastened there and found her drowned, just as you saw her now.
Did you immediately ask the neighbors to call a doctor?
No, at first I tried to pull it out of the water, but it was too heavy. Then I flushed the water and started to give her artificial respiration, but it was all useless!
Looking around the apartment, the sergeant noticed something unusual. He immediately contacted his superior, who was at the scene ten minutes later.
What I've noticed, chief, is Barlow's sleeping pajamas. If he was really trying to get his wife out of the water-filled bathtub, as he claims, then how could his pajamas stay completely dry?
Indeed. And there are no water splashes on the floor in the bathroom, - the chief noted.
The case seems very suspicious to me.
Me too. I'll get in touch with the forensic lab in Garrogat.
The forensic doctor, Dr. Price, soon arrived. He immediately drew attention to the water in the folds of the bent arms of the deceased.
What does that mean, doctor? the chief constable asked.
This contradicts Barlow's claims that he tried to give his wife CPR.
The chief constable listened intently, but before he could ask the forensic doctor the next question, the sergeant who had previously carefully examined the kitchen - every cupboard, every shelf and every corner - hurried into the room.
Look, chief, what I found in one corner of the kitchen,” he said, holding out two injection syringes. - One of them is still wet inside!
Maybe Barlow can explain this somehow? the chief remarked.
Barlow was not in the least embarrassed when both syringes were presented to him.
We just discovered it. Don't you think this find is somewhat unusual for a household? they asked him.
For a simple household - maybe. But you forget that I am a nurse and syringes belong to the instrumentation assigned to me.
But you don't serve the sick at home, do you?
I give myself injections of penicillin because of a carbuncle.
What injections did you give your wife? asked the chief constable suddenly sharply.
Barlow shook his head calmly.
None. Why are you even asking this question?
On the same night, the corpse was taken to the forensic laboratory. An autopsy was performed early in the morning, the results of which were reported to the Chief Constable by the forensic laboratory pathologist at Garrogate, Dr. Pryce, who was also led to suspect that Barlow's wife was under the influence of some kind of drugs by the unusually dilated pupils of the deceased.
Nothing, literally nothing, I found that could cause sudden weakness and loss of consciousness. The heart, like all other organs, is absolutely healthy. The pancreas, pituitary gland, thyroid gland did not show any anomalies.
Yes, about eight weeks, but everything was fine here, no reason to pass out,
How about injections? The medical examiner shrugged.
I did not find any traces of injections on the skin.
So everything is negative, - the chief constable concluded with disappointment. And what are we going to do with the corpse now?
I pass it on to our toxicological chemists Gur-ri and Wright. They will test for any drugs or poisons.
What heals can also kill
For several days, the intestinal tract of the deceased, samples of vomit, urine, blood, liver, spleen, lungs and brain were carefully examined. Many well-known samples were used for hundreds of different drugs and toxic substances, biochemical studies were carried out to detect blood and metabolic diseases. No results were obtained indicating the cause that could cause an attack of weakness and loss of consciousness.
We did not find any traces of poison, did not establish any metabolic disorders that could lead to loss of consciousness, both chemists concluded.
And what did the analysis of the contents of injection syringes show?
Slight traces of penicillin, Gurry replied.
This, to some extent, confirms Barlow's explanation that he gave himself injections of penicillin.
But Dr. Price did not give up. With a strong directional light, he again carefully examined the entire surface of the skin of the corpse, trying once again to find traces of injections somewhere. He had been working for more than two hours when he discovered two small skin lesions on his left buttock, visible only through a magnifying glass. Excited by what he found, he called in the toxicologists Gurry and Wright. Both of them came to the conclusion that they were undoubtedly puncture marks, but what had been injected remained a mystery. They immediately reported the new circumstances to the chief constable.
Yes, dear constable, - admitted Dr. Price, - unfortunately, I must say that at the first examination, due to the significant contamination of the skin of the deceased, I overlooked these lesions.
Are these really puncture marks?
Yes. I carefully made several incisions in the skin and underlying muscles and found the smallest traces of inflammation that occurs almost immediately after intramuscular injections.
When approximately could these injections be made? the chief constable asked.
Just a few hours before death.
So Barlow is lying. I have no doubt that he injected his wife with some solution that caused her death.
Both toxicologists thought the same way.
But what was introduced remains unknown,” Wright noted. All of our tests so far have come back negative.
What are you going to do, chief? Dr. Price asked. - Point out Barlow to his lies?
If I say outright that he lied, he will be warned. This is how we harm ourselves. No, I need to get information about his behavior in the hospital where he works. It is necessary to establish what medicines he has access to and whether any of them, especially completely new, little-known ones, have disappeared.
Good, agreed Dr. Price. - In the meantime, I will remove some of the tissues from the corpse with traces of injections and put them in the refrigerator. If we could not find traces of the injected substance in the corpse, then it is possible that the remains of this substance may remain at the injection sites. But since the objects to be investigated are very small, I must consult with my colleagues about the appropriateness of analytical methods in this case.
Many specialists were involved in consultations: gynecologists, a professor in the field of chemical pathology, a well-known biochemist. Everything revolved around one question: what kind of poison or drug could cause in a pregnant woman the symptoms that were observed in Elizabeth Barlow before her death, namely: fatigue, weakness, sweating, vomiting, loss of consciousness, severe dilation of the pupils?
Such symptoms are usually observed in patients suffering from hypoglycemia - too low blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is the exact opposite of hyperglycemia - diabetes, in which the blood is full of sugar. Normally, the amount of sugar in the blood is regulated by the hormone insulin produced by the pancreas. If the secretion of insulin ceases for any reason, the blood becomes overflowing with sugar and the person dies. The mortal danger for patients with diabetes mellitus was largely averted when, in 1921, insulin was obtained from the pancreas of animals, the regular administration of which makes up for its lack in the body. True, there have been deaths when too much insulin was injected, resulting in a significant lack of sugar in the body. At the same time, the patients experienced a feeling of fear, they developed convulsions, nausea, fever, severe sweating, the patients lost consciousness, that is, they were in a state of hypoglycemic coma. At the same time, the pupils were often greatly dilated.
But Elizabeth Barlow was not diabetic. This was shown by a study of urine, - explained Dr. Price. - Lack of blood sugar as a cause of death also does not appear to have occurred.
When examining blood taken from the cavity of the heart, I even found that the amount of sugar was somewhat higher than normal, Gurri confirmed. “Nevertheless, this does not exclude death due to the lack of the right amount of sugar in the blood.
We are dealing with something that has never been encountered in forensic science before. But with what? Dr. Price spread his hands. - As a medical professional, Barlow is certainly familiar with the effects of insulin. He could easily come up with the idea of giving his healthy wife his injection. Maybe even he accurately foresaw that the inevitable loss of consciousness would come in her bath and she would drown. Question after question, and no conclusive answers.
Suspicions were heightened when the chief constable appeared at the forensic laboratory on May 23 and gave the toxicologists some new findings from the investigation.
Barnow seems to be a rather unusual figure. The deceased was his second wife. The first wife died a year ago at the age of thirty-three.
In connection with what? Wright asked.
The exact cause of death could not be established.
And what information about Barlow was obtained at the hospital? Gurry asked.
First of all, it was found that there are ampoules of insulin. When Barlow had previously worked in a sanatorium in Norfeld, he once said in a conversation with one patient that if you get a powerful dose of insulin, then this is the right way to the next world.
So he is familiar with the effects of large doses of insulin!
Toxicologists could not hide their excitement. Maybe now, finally, the investigation of this mysterious crime was on the right track.
In addition, the Chief Constable continued, on Christmas Day 1955, Barlow told one of his colleagues that with the help of insulin you can commit a murder that will never be solved, since this drug is completely dissolved in the blood and its presence cannot be established. Does that tell you anything, gentlemen?
My God, constable! exclaimed Gurry. You can't even imagine how much this means to us!
Now is the time to get the tissue preparation out of the refrigerator, - Dr. Price enthusiastically supported his colleague. - If Barlow really injected his wife with insulin, we must do everything possible to find it.
The only question is how to implement it,” Gurri concluded.
No forensic, toxicological, or biochemical information materials have ever reported cases of murder by injection of insulin, and never once has any expert been tasked with establishing traces of it in the tissues of the human body. But still, after a long search, Gurri came across one interesting message.
My colleagues and I have carefully reviewed all relevant literature. For a long time it seemed that we would not find anything. But then I came across a very detailed report on the blood sugar levels of the dead. The article pointed out that in thirty-eight people who were forcibly strangled or drowned, the blood in the right ventricle of the heart contained an unusually high amount of sugar.
Apparently, these thirty-eight people were diabetics?
No. In the blood of other parts of the body, sugar, on the contrary, was not enough. This is amazing!
What is the message about this?
At the time of the death struggle, the liver - the largest store of sugar in our body - mobilizes all its reserves, but before death, the right amount of sugar has time to reach only the right ventricle.
So that's why the blood from Mrs. Barlow's heart contained so much sugar?
Gurri nodded.
Thus, despite the high blood sugar of the deceased, the suspicion that Barlow used insulin to kill his wife is not ruled out.
But this still needs to be proven, which is very difficult, - the chief constable noted.
Yes, since we are touching on an unfamiliar topic. True, we know the chemical composition of insulin as a protein compound, but we do not know how to prove its presence in body tissues.
From three previously taken pieces of tissue with traces of injections, extracts were made, which were then injected into mice and guinea pigs. Other mice and guinea pigs were injected with pure insulin. In both cases, scientists observed the same phenomena that were seen before Mrs. Barlow's death: trembling, convulsions, restlessness, weakness, loss of consciousness and coma. The experiments were repeated several times to eliminate the error.
Two months passed when the chief constable, in conversation with Gurry, again expressed doubt.
What worries me: until now, scientists believed that killing with insulin could not be proven, since it completely dissolves in the blood. You and your colleagues managed to establish the presence of insulin in the body of the deceased many days after her death. Something doesn't agree here.
Of course, chief, the very complex processes that take place in the human body constantly pose new riddles for us.
How exactly is our task solved?
We have found that insulin is well preserved in oxidized tissues of the body, while lactic acid is formed in the muscles of the human body after death.
Apparently, this is why the injected insulin remained for so long in the muscles of the buttocks of the deceased, did I understand you correctly? concluded the constable.
Yes. And I think you now have enough evidence to charge Barlow.
On July 29, 1957, after completing research in the forensic laboratory, Barlow, who was at that time at work at St. Luke's Hospital, was detained and charged with the murder of his wife.
He was told at Scotland Yard that he was suspected of killing his wife by injecting a large dose of insulin. He categorically denied this, stating that he did not give her any injections at all. A few days later, he changed his testimony, said that he had given injections, but concealed this, since they were made to terminate a pregnancy.
I did not inject insulin, but ergometrine. I took several of his ampoules in the hospital. I knew that the administration of ergometrine caused uterine contractions. My wife under no circumstances wanted to have a child.
This explanation did not create any difficulties for toxicologists, since during the examination of this case, given the presence of a pregnancy in the deceased, they had repeatedly tested for the presence of ergometrine, but no traces of it were found. Examination of the seized tissue parts with traces of injections also did not show any traces of ergometrine. Thus, Barlow made a false confession in an attempt to escape the charge of premeditated murder.
"The information collected allows us to assert that Barlow knew about the possibility of death from insulin injections. If you, gentlemen of the jury, also come to the conclusion that Barlow was aware of such consequences, then it will not be difficult for you to conclude that he wanted to kill his wife" - With these words, the judge, who, undoubtedly, was strongly impressed by the expert's conclusion, admonished the jury, who retired to pass the verdict.
Their meeting lasted only a few minutes, after which they returned to the courtroom with a unanimous conclusion: "Guilty."
The judge, having sentenced Barlow to life imprisonment, explained to the jury: "You found Barlow guilty of cold-blooded, brutal, carefully prepared murder, which without an unusual, highly scientific forensic and forensic investigation would never have been solved ..."
Poison that leaves no trace
It is not always possible to recognize poisoning by its symptoms. True, the external signs of the effects of inhaled or ingested poisons, as well as painkillers and sleeping pills, are quite unambiguous and well known, so that in the vast majority of cases a correct conclusion can be drawn. But there are a number of signs, such as nausea, vomiting, convulsions, which may well have a different cause. In addition, the presence of not every poison can be established by chemical research. Particularly important in proving the fact of poisoning is the most thorough work of the criminal police, aimed primarily at the fastest possible search for the poison and its determination.
Many external signs may suggest poisoning, such as dilated or constricted pupils, staining of the nails, gums, urine, yellowing of the skin, hair loss, plaque on the lips, paralysis, agitation, or, conversely, drowsiness. But the criminal police often assume poisoning in cases where the listed signs are absent. The position of the body, traces of vomiting, the presence of nearby dishes with leftover food and drink with an unusual smell may suggest a possible poisoning. Sudden death of a healthy person is also always suspicious.
The circle of suspects is usually small, since rarely a stranger will treat any poisoned food or drink, and the poison will not be sent by mail. Most often, the poisoner is someone from the immediate environment of the victim. Therefore, in doubtful cases, the relationship of the victim with the spouse, relatives and acquaintances is necessarily clarified in order to identify possible motives for the murder (this is usually hatred, envy, the desire to receive an inheritance, jealousy).
With suspected poisoning, a quick autopsy is especially important. If after the autopsy signs of poisoning are not revealed, or if any other important circumstances are established, then separate parts of the corpse are seized for later research on the presence of poison. Since research on poison is very complex and lengthy, it is important for a toxicologist to have at least some hints about what kind of poison could be used. If nothing is known, then the criminal police officers sometimes have to wait for a conclusion for a very long time. This is especially true in cases where a poison has been used that does not leave obvious traces.
On the night of May 4-5, 1957, forensic sergeant Naylor from the criminal investigation department of the English city of Bradford drove up to the house of nurse Kenneth Barlow. Barlow's wife passed out while taking a bath. The doctor called by the neighbors pronounced him dead, but under such unusual circumstances that he decided to notify the police.
Are you Mr Barlow? - the sergeant asked the young man who met him on the threshold of the house.
Where is the doctor?
Here, sergeant, the doctor said as he left the room. - I would like to show you the bath right away ...
Please.
Barlow watched silently as the doctor and the sergeant made their way up to the second floor, where the bathroom and bedroom were. The bathtub was drained, and thirty-year-old Elizabeth Barlow lay on her side with her arms folded as if in a dream. Apparently, while she was sitting in the bath, she began to vomit, she lost consciousness and, having found herself with her head in the water, choked. There were no signs of violence, but unusually dilated pupils drew attention to themselves.
I think that the deceased was under the influence of some kind of drug, - the doctor explained to the sergeant. At least that's my guess. But you listen to the story that Mr. Barlow tells. Unfortunately, I have to leave now.
Please. Give me your address, doctor.
Yes, of course, here is my business card.
Thank you.
The sergeant followed the doctor down the stairs and into the living quarters on the first floor, where Kenneth Barlow had been waiting for him the whole time. He gave the impression of a man completely depressed by what had happened.
Well, what happened, Mr. Barlow? The sergeant started talking.
I still can't get over...
Please tell me everything in order.
So we had a free day today. My wife works in a laundry and I'm a nurse in a hospital. The wife was very tired, in addition, she was expecting a child and did not feel very healthy. At five o'clock we had tea and she immediately went to bed, but exactly at half past seven I had to wake her up, as she was interested in one program on television.
Did she watch this show?
Not all. Even during the transmission, she again went to bed, because, as I have already said, she did not feel well.
How did it manifest itself? Did she have headaches?
She was very sick and even vomited, - Barlow said quite calmly, without stammering. - That's how it started. All linen on the bed was stained. I changed it and went to rest myself. Soon the wife began to complain of fever, bouts of sweating and decided to take a bath. And I fell asleep. When I woke up at eleven o'clock, the bed next to me was empty.
So your wife was still in the bathroom?
Yes. I hastened there and found her drowned, just as you saw her now.
Did you immediately ask the neighbors to call a doctor?
No, at first I tried to pull it out of the water, but it was too heavy. Then I flushed the water and started to give her artificial respiration, but it was all useless!
Looking around the apartment, the sergeant noticed something unusual. He immediately contacted his superior, who was at the scene ten minutes later.
What I've noticed, chief, is Barlow's sleeping pajamas. If he was really trying to get his wife out of the water-filled bathtub, as he claims, then how could his pajamas stay completely dry?
Indeed. And there are no water splashes on the floor in the bathroom, - the chief noted.
The case seems very suspicious to me.
Me too. I'll get in touch with the forensic lab in Garrogat.
The forensic doctor, Dr. Price, soon arrived. He immediately drew attention to the water in the folds of the bent arms of the deceased.
What does that mean, doctor? the chief constable asked.
This contradicts Barlow's claims that he tried to give his wife CPR.
The chief constable listened intently, but before he could ask the forensic doctor the next question, the sergeant who had previously carefully examined the kitchen - every cupboard, every shelf and every corner - hurried into the room.
Look, chief, what I found in one corner of the kitchen,” he said, holding out two injection syringes. - One of them is still wet inside!
Maybe Barlow can explain this somehow? the chief remarked.
Barlow was not in the least embarrassed when both syringes were presented to him.
We just discovered it. Don't you think this find is somewhat unusual for a household? they asked him.
For a simple household - maybe. But you forget that I am a nurse and syringes belong to the instrumentation assigned to me.
But you don't serve the sick at home, do you?
I give myself injections of penicillin because of a carbuncle.
What injections did you give your wife? asked the chief constable suddenly sharply.
Barlow shook his head calmly.
None. Why are you even asking this question?
On the same night, the corpse was taken to the forensic laboratory. An autopsy was performed early in the morning, the results of which were reported to the Chief Constable by the forensic laboratory pathologist at Garrogate, Dr. Pryce, who was also led to suspect that Barlow's wife was under the influence of some kind of drugs by the unusually dilated pupils of the deceased.
Nothing, literally nothing, I found that could cause sudden weakness and loss of consciousness. The heart, like all other organs, is absolutely healthy. The pancreas, pituitary gland, thyroid gland did not show any anomalies.
Yes, about eight weeks, but everything was fine here, no reason to pass out,
How about injections? The medical examiner shrugged.
I did not find any traces of injections on the skin.
So everything is negative, - the chief constable concluded with disappointment. And what are we going to do with the corpse now?
I pass it on to our toxicological chemists Gur-ri and Wright. They will test for any drugs or poisons.
From the book Odor Traces of Incident Participants: Detection, Collection, Organization of Research. Guidelines author From the book Textbook for dog handlers of the internal affairs bodies author Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation From the book Cheat Sheet on Forensics author Alennikov Andrey Gennadievich6. WORKING OUT OF "REVERSE" AND "POISONED" TRACES In practice, sometimes the cynologist is faced with the task of finding out where the criminal came from to the scene. In this regard, the question often arises - is the dog able to cope with such work and
From the book Using the possibilities of examination of odorous traces of a person in the disclosure and investigation of property crimes: Guidelines author Starovoitov Vasily Ivanovich8. THE USE OF "BLIND" TRACKS IN THE PROCESS OF TRAINING At present, among the specialists of search dog breeding of various departments (internal affairs agencies, border troops and the Soviet Army) there is no consensus on the timing of the transition to the study of "blind",
From the book Establishing Some Diagnostic Signs of a Human Based on Smell Traces: Guidelines author Gritsenko Vladimir Vasilievich
