During an 1857 trial, the defence claimed that the accused should be absolved of
wilful murder because an overdose of chloroform during surgery induced
insanity. In a rare appearance as a prosecutor, Abraham Lincoln tried the case
for the State of Illinois. Expert medical witnesses testified about the side effects of
chloroform and chloroform-induced insanity. Significantly, Lincoln was not
knowledgeable about medical jurisprudence and overlooked potential sources of
evidence and expert witnesses. Defence lawyers presented an impressive array of
physicians to testify about insanity, about chloroform and about the results of an
overdosage during anaesthesia. Considering the state of scientific knowledge at
the time, the trial was notable.
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