Taylor was the leading English toxicologist and medical witness of his time, and his works were revised, edited, and translated into other languages. He "performed an invaluable service in codifying legal precedents and rulings and relevant anatomical and chemical data. He was known to a wider public by his appearance as a witness for the prosecution in celebrated murder trials, including those of Drory, and the poisoners Tawell, Palmer (who first exploited the possibilities offered by life insurance policies), Smethurst and Catherine Wilson. He was a commanding figure in the witness box, unbending and relentless" (munksroll.rclondon.uk) Extensively revised second edition 1859, further extensively revised edition 1875. Digital facsimile of the first U.S. edition (1848) from Google Books at this link.