Taylor, Alfred Swaine

The Englesham [sic] poisoning case. Galley proofs, with pencil corrections

Publisher Information: London: 1858. [Taylor, Alfred Swaine (1806-80).] The Englesham [sic] poisoning case. Galley proofs, with pencil notes and corrections, of an unsigned article published in the Medical Times and Gazette, n.s., 16 (1858): 36-38. [London, 1858.] 2 sheets printed on rectos only, the longer measuring 570 x 156 mm. A few marginal tears (mended with clear tape) affecting one or two lines of text, some creasing, but on the whole very good. Docketed in Taylor’s hand.

From the archive of Alfred Swaine Taylor, founder of forensic toxicology and the leading medical jurist in England in the mid-nineteenth century. Taylor held the professorship post of medical jurisprudence at Guy’s Hospital from 1831 until 1877 and was the author of several books on forensic medicine, including Elements of Medical Jurisprudence (1836; Garrison-Morton.com 1738). He also served as chief editor of the Medical Times and Gazette from 1844 to 1851.

“The Englesham poisoning case” discusses the chemical forensic evidence used in the trial of Peter Walker for the murder of Agnes Montgomery, a native of Eaglesham, Scotland, who died on 13 September 1857 after drinking beer that Walker had poisoned with prussic acid. Walker’s trial was the first in Scotland for prussic acid poisoning; it resulted in only the third conviction in Britain for murder by this method. The present article is unsigned but is certainly by Taylor; it includes some pointed criticisms of the toxicological arguments used by Walker’s defense team.

Book Id: 46193

Price: $375.00