A Charge of Manslaughter against a Medical Man

Considerable interest has been excited by a charge of homicide by imprudence, preferred against Dr. J. D. M. Coghill of Colombo, in having caused the death of Mr. Stephen Rowan Aitken, by negligently and without due caution prescribing and causing to be administered certain medicines. From the evidence, it would appear that Mr. Aitken, who was thirty years of age, had been under Dr. Coghill's treatment for tapeworm for nearly three months. A number of remedies had been prescribed, and had failed to bring away the head of the worm, although they had given rise to considerable intestinal disturbance and irritation. For nearly two months no joints were passed, and it was hoped that the treatment _ had proved successful. Some eight or ten days before his death Mr. Aitken called on Dr. Coghill, told him he was again troubled by his old enemy, and begged that something more might be done towards effecting a cure. He said he would begin taking medicine on the following Sunday morning. He was given