(b) Wednesday the 10th of July 1872 Dr. Chalmers prescribes, Bismuth bi-carbonate
of Potass and Prussic acid.
(c) Thursday afternoon 11th of July 1872 Dr. Kilburn prescribes, Effervescence
of Ammonia.
(d) Thursday evening 11th of July 1872 Dr. Kilburn prescribes, Bismuth and Hydrocyanic
acid and four doses of Morphia. 12 doses of Bismuth and Hydrocyanic acid in a bottle.
The mixture to be taken every two hours.
On investigation and research the chemical classification for “prussic acid” Hydrocyanic
acid is: a highly poisonous volatile liquid with a characteristic odour of bitter
almonds. Chemical formula HCN also called “prussic acid.” Bismuth: a brittle reddish-white
metallic element used in alloys.
The amounts prescribed for the child as we can see are considerable, given that the
child consumed such amounts in five days. “Prussic acid” is as we can see a most
poisonous compound, the Doctors stated that in their view the amounts prescribed
were not dangerous. I beg to differ, both Doctors treated the child independently
and were quite unaware as to what the other had prescribed, they only became aware
of each other’s prescriptions after the child had died. Bismuth is of a reddish-white
metallic element. I bring you the reader back to Dr. Thomas Scattergood’s findings
during his analysis. He said that the stomach and bowels were inflamed and had a
reddish appearance to the coatings. Now let us examine the bismuth itself, it is
a reddish-white metallic element, coincidentally the same colouring as the inflamed
organs which Scattergood describes! Was Scattergood wrong in his analysis, he made
no mention of “prussic acid” in his report, but did mention bismuth only in the context
of it being administered as medication by the two Doctors. If Mary Ann Cotton had
been given access to an independent forensic analyst then I am quite sure that Scattergood’s
evidence would have been thoroughly examined and tested, and would in my opinion
be subjected to searching questions and quite rightly in places rebuked. We must
also add to this equation the disappearance of medication bottles from Mary Ann Cotton’s
house during the police search of 1872. For as we know from Police evidences, Dr.
Kilburn was observed by a policeman to remove those medication bottles from her house.
Kilburn stated in his evidences to the Court, that he never removed those items,
however, no medicinal bottles were ever analysed or had been retained as evidences
of treatments administered, as to where these bottles disappeared to is a mystery.
