Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Ran across this sentence in a NY Times article dated August 10th, covering events of August 9th:

"Search is being made for the prescription which Dr. Bowen gave to the family when the members were ill a week ago."

Couldn't find it anywhere else except in Williams' book, and she uses the Times as her main source.

I don't recall Abbie getting a prescription when she went over to see Dr. Bowen nor one being mentioned when Dr. Bowen came over to the house.

Why would the police be searching for a prescription?

Great stuff Harry! He told her to take castor oil and Andrew was swigging Garfield tea! We are off and running again- the game's afoot! I once entertained a theory that maybe the pair were being slowly poisoned by Emma, who timed her very long visit to Fairhaven for the time when they finally succumbed back in Fall River. And that Lizzie, returned early from her trip, not so much to take the minutes at the church meeting- but to see why they had not yet DIED! The smug Dr. says no caustic poisons were found in the stomach -which literally burn and scar the digestive track-but there are many kinds of poison from nicotine to digitalis-and I am certain they did not check for every possibility as the men had Prussic acid so much on the brain. I always wondered if the family medicine chest, tonics, and the like, were tested. My Victorian grandparents took Fletcher's Castoria fig syrup every day- many elderly folks did have a daily preparation for "regularity" or aching joints.

Interesting find, Harry, I've never heard of that either. Could it have been a simple mistake on someone's part getting the note that allegedly came for Abby transposed with a prescription, we know they looked for that or the sender?

Yes, Dr. Bowen didn't write a prescription for Abby, just advised her to take some Castor oil with some Port wine for the taste. How odd.



Edit: Ooops, Shelley's post wasn't there when I started mine.

Not odd if you ever tasted Castor oil- (it is from a bean). Nasty stuff which lubricates the gastro-intestinal tract and every bad thing "slips out." It is used to ease constipation and as an emetic to induce vomiting in poison cases where the poison is not a caustic.
I used to get a gum drop (anise flavored) to kill the taste from Granny.

Harry @ Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:47 pm wrote:Ran across this sentence in a NY Times article dated August 10th, covering events of August 9th:

"Search is being made for the prescription which Dr. Bowen gave to the family when the members were ill a week ago."

Couldn't find it anywhere else except in Williams' book, and she uses the Times as her main source.

I don't recall Abbie getting a prescription when she went over to see Dr. Bowen nor one being mentioned when Dr. Bowen came over to the house.

Why would the police be searching for a prescription?

Didnt' Abbie want to go to the Dr. but Andrew prohibited it? I recall reading something about her wanting to go and starting over to him, and Andrew calling after with some harsh words about not giving the doctor any money. Or am I wrong.

I don't know why the police would be searching for the prescription, if there was one. Unless it was something to put them asleep and lizzie knew this, so she could go kill them while they sleep.

I seem to recall Andrew dosed himself with Garfield tea, not wanting to make a fuss and run up a doctor's bill. But Abby did go over early in the day, and Dr. Bowen was alarmed at the state she was in and was afraid she was about to vomit right there in his house. Andrew mentioned, regarding the bill something like "Your brass will pay for it" -and when Bowen popped over the house to check on her, Andrew was perturbed about a second fee.

Maybe I have read too much Agatha Christie- but had I been one of the police officers, or Dr. Dolan or Bowen, I would have made sure I had a good look at everything consumable in that house from the bread and milk (which they did examine) to the contents of the medicine chest and leftover scraps in the garbage dump. Poison is a fascinating topic. During the 1992 centennial conference, a poison expert from Harvard presented a riveting lecture on poisons and their effects. Amazing just how much will kill a person which can be found right in your own house right under the sink right now. Grab a hot coffee and read all these links when you have a slow night- very revealing stuff- and written for laymen to understand. Scroll down for the good stuff http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison#Types_of_poisons

Abbie's going over to Dr. Bowen's prompted Andrew's "My money shan't pay for it" comment.

Alice Russell at the trial testified that this incident was told to her by Lizzie.

Abbie must have thought her sickness serious enough to defy her husband. Not only defying her husband but taking on a doctor's bill on her paltry allowance of $4.00 a week.

We have to wonder though that if they had lived, whether Dr. Bowen would have billed them. I kinda think he might be afraid to do so after Andrew's treatment of him when he went over.

The castor oil and Garfield tea comes from Lizzie's inquest testimony (p85):

"Q. Was he then under medical treatment?
A. No, sir.
Q. The doctor had not given him any medicine that you know of?
A. No, sir; he took some medicine; it was not doctor's medicine; it was what we gave him.
Q. What was it?
A. We gave him castor oil first and then Garfield tea.
Q. When was that?
A. He took the castor oil some time Wednesday. I think some time Wednesday noon, and I think the tea Wednesday night; Mrs. Borden gave it to him. She went over to see the doctor."

Good find, Harry! It sounds like that has too much information in it that a reporter would not otherwise know for it to be a search for something other than what it says. It sounds like they don't trust Dr. Bowen. Otherwise, if there was a prescription, Bowen could have just told the cops what it said and that would be that.

Maybe Bowen and Lizzie both told the police that there was no prescription given, but the cops thought they should look for one anyway just in case.

I suppose if there was a follow-up to this, you would have seen and posted it.

Shelley, your posts are delightful! And so full of interesting things! I saw you a year ago August portraying Mrs. Churchill at the B & B August 4th re-enactment. I thought you stole the show. Your clothing was incredible! And you were amazing, the dialogue you used. You really stayed in character and gave what I felt was a pretty authentic glimpse into her and the day and the era. You shoulda got a Golden Pear award!

Thanks! Mrs. Churchill is always a fun role for interpretation. I can just imagine her sharp little eyes darting here and there taking it all in, then going home to give a detailed report-and how I would love to know what it was she saw in the house that day. I thought I would miss playing Lizzie when I finally got too old to be believable, but there are so many fascinating characters in this tragedy-and this year, I finally got to put a softer, kinder spin on poor Abby, who has, throughout the years, been my favorite and most sympathetic character.

Victorian costume is a very great passion for me and what fun it is to be able to bring out some of the bits and pieces I have collected. Mourning jewelry, particularly Whitby jet is a particular obsession after several visits to Whitby in North Yorkshire where the jet industy still thrives. Thanks to Queen Victorian and the death of Albert, it became the rage as it is very lightweight and easy to carve. I'll dig out a few photos of past costuming glories.

Mrs. Churchill reminds me of my neighbor lady --- the nosy neighbor. She knows everything that goes on in the neighborhood. Thats what Mrs. Churchill reminds me off.

Oh yes Shelley more pictures!!! I just love the ones of the house, it really helps to visualize what has taken place, and actually seeing the clothes worn during that time would be excellant!!!

Looking forward to your photos, Shelley! Abby is probably my favorite character, too. She was treated so horribly - especially at the end - and even today with most writers never going beyond saying she was "fat" or "fleshy" and didn't go out of the house. I have a lot of respect for Jules Rykebusch (sp?). But in a tape on Lizzie ("Hash & Rehash" maybe) he said the very worst, yet the very funniest, comment about her when he referred to her as a "lump of oatmeal". That's exactly how she has been seen since the murders occurred. But she wasn't.

Harry @ Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:47 pm wrote:Ran across this sentence in a NY Times article dated August 10th, covering events of August 9th:

"Search is being made for the prescription which Dr. Bowen gave to the family when the members were ill a week ago."

Couldn't find it anywhere else except in Williams' book, and she uses the Times as her main source.

I don't recall Abbie getting a prescription when she went over to see Dr. Bowen nor one being mentioned when Dr. Bowen came over to the house.

Why would the police be searching for a prescription?

Shouldn't that newspaper story tell why? This was for the week before (when Lizzie was away?).