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Another mention of Grimwood by Sala, plus a description of her wounds.
Belgravia, Volume 23, May, 1874, Page 294
HOW I WENT TO COURT
A Proud Confession
BY GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA
In a word, I am poor and shabby and despicable, and a plagiarist, a dullard, a buffoon, and a bore (I am afraid that, were the whole truth to come out, it would be found that I had murdered Eliza Grimwood, and set the Thames on fire into the bargain); but what care I for all these little shortcomings and mischances?
The Lancet, June 16, 1838, Pages 399-400
POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES OF ELIZA GRIMWOOD.
To the Editor of The Lancet.
Sir :—Supposing that a statement of the appearances of the wounds found on the body of Eliza Grimwood, who was murdered early in the morning of Saturday, the 26th ult., at a house in the Waterloo-road, Lambeth, might not be altogether uninteresting to the medical readers of your weekly Journal, I have taken the liberty of transmitting the following account for insertion, at your earliest convenience. I am, Sir, yours obediently,
J. L. I'on.
June 6th, 1838.
Mr. Cooke (the medical gentleman who first saw the deceased) and myself made a careful inspection of the body, in the presence of several highly respectable medical practitioners residing in the neighbourhood, when the following particulars were noticed:—
On placing the body on a table, three punctured wounds were discovered on the anterior part, one immediately beneath the left mamma, penetrating through the integuments only, and cellular tissue beneath. Another was found just upon the ensiform cartilage, penetrating that structure, and extending into the cavity of the chest. On reflecting back the sternum we readily traced the direction which this wound had taken; it passed in a perpendicular course from above downwards, wounding in its progress the integuments, the ensiform cartilage, and passing completely through the anterior mediastinum, had wounded the pleura costalis, on the right side of the chest, the viscera in that cavity escaping uninjured. The third stab took an opposite direction, obliquely upwards; commencing near the umbilicus, it passed between the integuments and muscles, to within about an inch and a half of the second wound; here it penetrated the abdomen, having divided some of the fibres of the recti muscles and the peritoneal membrane beneath; but the stomach, and the other abdominal organs, were found to be perfectly entire.
On the forehead, over the left temple, a slight incision was discovered, merely dividing the integuments.
On the anterior part of the neck, about midway, a very extensive incision was inflioted, six inches in length, and about an inch and a half in depth, dividing the integuments, and following parts on the left side:—the sterno-cleido-mastoideus, sternohyoideus, and thyroideus, and crico-thyroideus muscles; the left lobe of the thyroid gland; the cricoid cartilage; and the left carotid artery; leaving the pneumogastric nerve and internal jugular vein entire. The carotid was divided directly across, a little below its bifurcation. On the right side, the wound being more superficial, it had only divided some of the anterior fibres of the sterno-cleido-mastoideus, and the whole of the sterno-hyoid and thyroid muscles, leaving the carotid sheath, together with its contents, uninjured.
On the thumb and middle finger of the left hand two small wounds were discovered, merely dividing the integuments, supposed to have been accidentally sustained during the act of raising the hand to save the throat from the stroke of the murderous weapon.
On turning over the body an extensive triangular wound was found on the back part of the neck; the apex pointing downwards, commencing immediately behind the middle of the right ear, and extending to within one inch of the same point on the opposite side; this wound was about three inches in depth, and had completely divided the integuments, and the whole of the muscular structure beneath; then passing between the spinous processes of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae, it penetrated, to some extent, the bony structure, and exposed to view the theca vertebralis, the farther progress of the instrument having been arrested by the transverse processes of the corresponding vertebrae. When the head was placed in its relative perpendicular position, this wound was found to be two inches higher than the one on the anterior part.
The preceding narrative of the character and situation of the injuries presents to the mind of the medico-legal inquirer matter for curious and interesting speculation, and affords an opportunity to reflect on and trace the order of succession in which the injuries were inflicted. As some slight difference of opinion prevails on this point, even amongst those who had an opportunity of a personal examination, it would ill become me to publish my own sentiments on the subject. Should the perpetrator of the deed ever be discovered, this part of the investigation may be satisfactorily explained. In the absence of such valuable testimony we are at liberty to draw our own conclusions, from the imperfect statement contained in the preceding account.
Belgravia, Volume 23, May, 1874, Page 294
HOW I WENT TO COURT
A Proud Confession
BY GEORGE AUGUSTUS SALA
In a word, I am poor and shabby and despicable, and a plagiarist, a dullard, a buffoon, and a bore (I am afraid that, were the whole truth to come out, it would be found that I had murdered Eliza Grimwood, and set the Thames on fire into the bargain); but what care I for all these little shortcomings and mischances?
The Lancet, June 16, 1838, Pages 399-400
POST-MORTEM APPEARANCES OF ELIZA GRIMWOOD.
To the Editor of The Lancet.
Sir :—Supposing that a statement of the appearances of the wounds found on the body of Eliza Grimwood, who was murdered early in the morning of Saturday, the 26th ult., at a house in the Waterloo-road, Lambeth, might not be altogether uninteresting to the medical readers of your weekly Journal, I have taken the liberty of transmitting the following account for insertion, at your earliest convenience. I am, Sir, yours obediently,
J. L. I'on.
June 6th, 1838.
Mr. Cooke (the medical gentleman who first saw the deceased) and myself made a careful inspection of the body, in the presence of several highly respectable medical practitioners residing in the neighbourhood, when the following particulars were noticed:—
On placing the body on a table, three punctured wounds were discovered on the anterior part, one immediately beneath the left mamma, penetrating through the integuments only, and cellular tissue beneath. Another was found just upon the ensiform cartilage, penetrating that structure, and extending into the cavity of the chest. On reflecting back the sternum we readily traced the direction which this wound had taken; it passed in a perpendicular course from above downwards, wounding in its progress the integuments, the ensiform cartilage, and passing completely through the anterior mediastinum, had wounded the pleura costalis, on the right side of the chest, the viscera in that cavity escaping uninjured. The third stab took an opposite direction, obliquely upwards; commencing near the umbilicus, it passed between the integuments and muscles, to within about an inch and a half of the second wound; here it penetrated the abdomen, having divided some of the fibres of the recti muscles and the peritoneal membrane beneath; but the stomach, and the other abdominal organs, were found to be perfectly entire.
On the forehead, over the left temple, a slight incision was discovered, merely dividing the integuments.
On the anterior part of the neck, about midway, a very extensive incision was inflioted, six inches in length, and about an inch and a half in depth, dividing the integuments, and following parts on the left side:—the sterno-cleido-mastoideus, sternohyoideus, and thyroideus, and crico-thyroideus muscles; the left lobe of the thyroid gland; the cricoid cartilage; and the left carotid artery; leaving the pneumogastric nerve and internal jugular vein entire. The carotid was divided directly across, a little below its bifurcation. On the right side, the wound being more superficial, it had only divided some of the anterior fibres of the sterno-cleido-mastoideus, and the whole of the sterno-hyoid and thyroid muscles, leaving the carotid sheath, together with its contents, uninjured.
On the thumb and middle finger of the left hand two small wounds were discovered, merely dividing the integuments, supposed to have been accidentally sustained during the act of raising the hand to save the throat from the stroke of the murderous weapon.
On turning over the body an extensive triangular wound was found on the back part of the neck; the apex pointing downwards, commencing immediately behind the middle of the right ear, and extending to within one inch of the same point on the opposite side; this wound was about three inches in depth, and had completely divided the integuments, and the whole of the muscular structure beneath; then passing between the spinous processes of the third and fourth cervical vertebrae, it penetrated, to some extent, the bony structure, and exposed to view the theca vertebralis, the farther progress of the instrument having been arrested by the transverse processes of the corresponding vertebrae. When the head was placed in its relative perpendicular position, this wound was found to be two inches higher than the one on the anterior part.
The preceding narrative of the character and situation of the injuries presents to the mind of the medico-legal inquirer matter for curious and interesting speculation, and affords an opportunity to reflect on and trace the order of succession in which the injuries were inflicted. As some slight difference of opinion prevails on this point, even amongst those who had an opportunity of a personal examination, it would ill become me to publish my own sentiments on the subject. Should the perpetrator of the deed ever be discovered, this part of the investigation may be satisfactorily explained. In the absence of such valuable testimony we are at liberty to draw our own conclusions, from the imperfect statement contained in the preceding account.
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