Kentish Gazette, 20 February 1844.

SUPPOSED TRANCE.

During the past week, intense interest has been felt in the upper part of Deptford and Greenwich, in consequence of the belief that a young man named William Francis, on whom a coroner’s jury had sat, and returned a verdict that he died from natural causes, was still alive, but in a trance.

The following are the facts of this remarkable case:— The young man was (or is) the son of Mr. Francis, the landlord of the "Oxford Arms," in Church-street, Deptford; and on Friday week he was at the "Marquis of Granby" public-house, Lower Watergate, Deptford, which it appears is kept by his brother. He went into the tap-room about seven o'clock in the evening, when he complained of a violent palpitation of the heart, and almost instantly fell down. He was picked up by some of the customers quite stiff and cold. Mr. Hatfield, a surgeon, was sent for, who pronounced him to be quite dead, and left. Mr. Taylor, of High-street, afterwards attended, and although an hour had elapsed, succeeded in bleeding him, but tried several remedies ineffectually to restore animation.

The inquest was called the next day, and some of the jury expressed their surprise that Mr. Hatfied had not attempted to bleed the patient when he went, and thought he ought to be sent for, and that a post mortem examination should be made. The coroner, however, expressed so strong an opinion that the young man had died instantly from a disease of the heart, and that it was unnecessary to call the surgeons, or have a post mortem examination, that the jury returned the above verdict. The body was afterwards removed to the "Oxford Arms," when the countenance gradually resumed its natural colour, and the chilliness of death gave way to a slight warmth. Two surgeons have been called in, and on opening the eyes, expressed their surprise, as they did not appear set in death, but would not at that time give a positive opinion on the point. The relatives, as may be supposed, are in a state of deep anxiety, and indulge in hope of his recovery. He has been taken out of his coffin, and placed in bed until the issue is known.

Kentish Gazette, 27 February 1844.

The Case of "Supposed Trance." at Deptford.

Upon inquiry being made on Monday afternoon into the facts of the case as connected with the supposed trance of the young man William Francis, who lies at the "Oxford Arms" Church Street, Deptford. Dr. Arthur, of High Street, states that no positive ground ever existed for supposing such to be the case, life undoubtedly having been extinct ever since the evening of the 2nd ult., when he suddenly fell off a table in the tap-room of the "Marquis of Granby" public house, kept by his brother, in Watergate, Deptford. Some symptoms appeared which were considered of a singular character.

The cornea of the eye lid did not film as is usual after death, and the limbs continued elastic; but Dr. Arthur and other medical gentlemen who have seen the case say that these results are not at all infrequent when parties die either of aneurism or ossification of the heart. The father of the poor lad still persists in his determination not to have the body interred while these appearances remain; but as decomposition is already manifesting itself on one side of the neck and on the abdomen, it is most probably that before long he will see cause to revoke his present decision.

Kentish Gazette, 5 March 1844.

CASE OF SUPPOSED TRANCE AT DEPTFORD.

Deep interest has been excited in Deptford respecting a supposed case of trance, and it is deemed one of the most extraordinary which has ever come before the faculty. It is necessary to observe, that two reports which have appeared in some of the papers are wholly without foundation, and have caused great pain to the relatives. The first was that decomposition was apparent at the early part of last week, and subsequently another report was made, that the body had actually been buried. Even up to Monday not the slightest appearance of decomposition had taken place. This assertion is made on the authority of the medical gentlemen who have from time to time, up to Monday, watched the progress of the case. The following are the facts which have not been generally published:—

On Friday, the 2nd of February, Mr. Francis, jun., the son of Mr. Francis, the landlord of the "Oxford Arms," in Church street, Deptford, was sitting in the tap room of his brother's house, the "Marquis of Granby," at the Lower Water gate, Deptford, when he fell down apparently in a fit, and a medical gentleman pronounced him to be dead, and took no means to restore what has since been declared by competent authorities to have been only suspended animation. Mr. Taylor, surgeon, of High-street, afterwards went to the house, and made several skilful experiments; and although an hour after the young man had been pronounced to be dead, succeeded in bleeding him, but not to restore animation. On the jury being empanelled one of the jurymen was also taken in a fit, whether from the sight of the body or not can only be imagined, but for a few moments a fatal result was expected. The jury generally were not satisfied with the general evidence, and requested the attendance of the medical gentlemen who attended at the time, or that a post mortem examination might be made, but the dictum of the coroner, that the deceased died from an enlargement of the heart, was submitted to by the jury, who appeared, however, not quite satisfied, but returned a verdict that the deceased died from natural causes. Almost immediately afterwards a brother of the deceased was seized with a fit intermittingly for three hours. The surgeon then called in, on hearing the probable cause of excitement, at once pronounced the verdict to be premature, and that the coroner was exceedingly wrong in directing the jury in such a case, and he himself doubted whether death had been so instantaneous. The brother was bled, and recovered, and subsequently Mr. Atkins, the surgeon spoken of, afterwards saw the body, which then exhibited all the freshness and bloom of health. Several medical and surgical men in the vicinity of the place, and from the London hospitals, also visited the place; from their vague expressions there appeared no doubt that life was not extinct, at least for nine or ten days after the holding of the inquest. On Friday Messrs. Downing (the surgeons to the police force) and Mr. Taylor, the surgeon before alluded to, again visited the house, and gave a most unqualified contradiction to decomposition having taken place. Mr. Halse, a professor of galvanism, recommended galvanism, but it was not deemed expedient to try it. On Monday, Mr. Hope, of Deptford, came, prepared with a galvanic battery, but, on viewing the body, considered it advisable not to make the experiment; he, however, recommended that the head should be raised more, so that if any life did remain, the blood should not flow to the head. He also strongly recommended, that as no decomposition had taken place, no interment should be made until decomposition was unequivocal, and then, for the satisfaction of the relatives and justice to the medical profession, a post mortem examination should be made. He observed that the limbs were not stiff and the sides were almost warm, and not like death.

The relatives still entertain hopes, and the body is frequently washed. It is, however, in the coffin. The limbs are up to the present time perfectly supple. Twenty-four days have elapsed since the inquest.

Kentish Gazette, 12 March 1844.

THE CASE OF SUPPOSED TRANCE AT DEPTFORD.

In the last notice of this extraordinary case it was stated, on the authority of several surgeons of experience, that decomposition of the body was going on, although not apparent to a non-professional person. On Friday, however, there were such unequivocal signs of decomposition having taken place, that the parents of the deceased determined on having a post mortem examination, and Messrs. Downing, surgeons to the R division of police, and Mr. Caleb Taylor, surgeon of High-street, Deptford, were requested to perform the operation, which they did in a most minute and careful manner, and in which they were occupied several hours. The following is an authorised copy of their report:—

"Friday, March 8.

"POST MORTEM EXAMINATION OF THE BODY OF HENRY FRANCIS.

"The body was well-proportioned, robust, and above the middle stature. The calvariuin being removed, the dura mater and arachnoid were found translucent and healthy, and no unusual quantity of serum in its cavity, but the vessels of the pia mater were remarkably congested with venous blood, the larger ones being quite prominent from distension and their minutest ramifications filled. The brain was also found very much congested, and sections of it being made, bloody points in very unusual number were shown, from extreme congestion of its small vessels. The ventricles contained no unusual quantity of serum, butt the plexus choroides was much congested. No clot of estasusations was found.

"On opening the chest the pericardium was found to contain about four ounces of redish serum, the left ventricle of heart dilated and hypertrophied; the right ventricle, semilunar, mitral, and trienspid valves and aorta quite healthy, but the right ventricle, venae cavae ascendens and desceudens, brachio-cephalics, coronary, and other veins, were much distended with blood; the left pleural cavity contained about eight ounces reddish serum (this as well us the contents of the pericardium being probably the result of cadaveric exosmosis), the membranes themselves being healthy. The right pleural cavity was completely obliterated by old adhesion, the lung being adherent throughout from apex to base, so that it was impossible to remove it without laceration; both lungs were also much congested, but otherwise healthy. The stomach contained some undigested food, amongst which were found many large masses of cheese, considerably larger than filberts their nature being evident when cut into. The stomach was healthy, except being, in common with all the organs of the body, much congested, which was also the case with the kidneys, being large of a deep chocolate colour. The liver spleen, intestines, and peritoneum healthy.

"From this examination, it is evident that disease of the heart was not the immediate cause of death, it having been produced by congestive apoplexy.

"C. TAYLOR. E. DOWNING."

The foregoing document will no doubt be read with great interest by the profession as well as the public. One remarkable fact is, that amongst the number of professional gentlemen who viewed the body during the 35 days after death, only one gentlemen expressed an opinion as to the cause of death which has been borne out by the post mortem examination, and that was the gentleman who was mistaken for Mr. Callaway by the family (on whose authority it was stated Mr. Callaway and Mr. Bransby Cooper had seen the body). The gentleman referred to pronounced that the deceased had died from paralysis of the brain, and pointed out the proper course which should have been pursued. Mr. Taylor certainly bled the deceased half an hour after the first surgeon had pronounced him dead, and the blood flowed copiously from the arm. Messrs. Downing and Taylor have not at present given any opinion as to the cause of the extraordinary retention of natural appearances for so great a length of time. Even on opening the body the effluvium was very slight.

This case clearly shows the necessity of a more patient inquiry by coroners’ juries, as in this case the coroner thought it unnecessary to call the medical man, himself pronouncing that deceased died from an enlargement of the heart, on which the jury returned a verdict.