Portugal's first major forensic case and the genesis of forensic toxicology:10 years of research to reconstruct the event

The"Crime of Flores Street"is one of the most famous cases of poisoning to divide public opinion in Portugal in the late 19th century, and it also demonstrated the weaknesses of the Portuguese medicolegal system and attested to the importance of toxicological analysis. Vicente Urbino de Freitas was a prominent doctor, graduating from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra in 1875. He later became Professor of Physiology at the Porto Medical-Surgical School and author of a number of books on leprosy. In 1877, he married Maria das Dores Basto Sampaio Freitas, and this was followed by the death of a number of her close relatives in suspicious circumstances, notably her brother José António Sampaio Junior and nephew Mário Guilherme Augusto de Sampaio. This review aims to retell the story of Portugal's first significant medicolegal case as well as the accompanying judicial drama that gave birth to Forensic Toxicology in Portugal and prompted the medicolegal organization that exists today. This research was carried out over a 10-year period and repre-sents undeniable historical value given the rarity of the facts compiled. At the heart of this forensic case was the use of toxicological analyses in court for which the Chemist Antònio Joaquim Ferreira da Silva played a key role. This toxicological report revealed high concen-trations of morphine, delphinine and narceine in viscera and in Mario's urine. The Mario's cause of death was attributed to poisoning by opium alkaloids. Despite the strong judicial evidence, doubts still remains as to whether Vicente Urbino de Freitas was a"monster"or a victim of circumstances and a hapless martyr.

Analysis of the testimonial evidence of Portugal's first major forensic case:part Ⅱ

The crime possibly perpetrated by a doctor named Vicente Urbino de Freitas in 1890 is one of the most famous cases of poisoning,and it had echoes in the Portuguese and foreign press for several decades.This prestigious doctor was convicted of the fatal poisoning of his nephew.He also attempted the homicide of two nieces and their mother-in-law,who only escaped because they obstinately refused to comply with the"therapeutics"prescribed by the family doctor.The motive of the crime should have been Vicente Urbino de Freitas'ambition to receive the family inheritance of his wife,the daughter of the well-known mer-chant Jose Antonio Sampaio of Flores Street in Porto.Vicente Urbino de Freitas was con-victed but doubt about his guilt persists for more than a century.This second work aimed to collect and analyse all the relevant and contradictory testimonial evidence of the prosecu-tion and defence witnesses.This case represents an odd historical record obtained through more than 12years of research on the first major significant Portuguese forensic case.Rare and unprecedented testimonial evidence and photographs were obtained from different countries and then repaired,since these also provide an important historical record of the medical photography.

Analysis of the autopsy,toxicological,and psychiatric reports of Portugal’s first major forensic case:partⅢ

This work presents an odd historical record obtained through more than 14 years of research regarding one of the first major european forensic cases.The presumed homicide of Mário Guilherme Augusto de Sampaio in 1890 was allegedly perpetrated by his uncle,the prestigious doctor vicente Urbino de Freitas.This famous poisoning had international repercussions for decades,with the participation of several forensic experts that made the history of forensic sciences,namely forensic toxicology and pathology.This third work aims to collect,restore,and analyse all the forensic evidence,particularly from the autopsy,toxicological,and psychiatric forensic reports.Facts regarding the life of vicente Urbino de Freitas during his exile in Brazil were also recovered,along with a vast and outstanding assortment of forensic medicine photographs from the 19th century.