164 



ME. F. GRACE CALVERT ON A CASE OF POISONING 



The evidence at the inquest was adjourned until chemical 

 research could be brought to bear upon it. I much regretted 

 that the liver had not been removed, in addition to the 

 stomach and intestines, and had determined to request the 

 disinterment of the corpse, but having been enabled in my 

 examination of the stomach and intestines to find copperas, I 

 thought it unnecessary to exhume the body. I first removed 

 the small amount of fluid which was found in the stomach ; 

 I then placed in another vessel the contents of the intestines, 

 and to these I added respectively some washings obtained 

 by cleansing these viscera with distilled water. These fluids 

 being heated to ebullition, and the coagulum thus produced 

 separated from the liquid, the precipitates were desiccated, 

 and the fluids evaporated to dryness in an oil bath of 

 gcjQo pai^j,^ These were examined for oxalic acid, oxalates, 

 bi-chloride of mercury, salts of antimony, lead, copper, and 

 barytes. 



Having arrived at no results, but still believing death to be 

 due to some irritant poison, I tested for salts of zinc, during 

 which process I detected the presence of salts of iron, and 

 having satisfied myself that an unusual quantity existed in the 

 coagulum, and in the fluid separated therefrom, as well as in 

 the tissues of the stomach and intestines, I then proceeded to 

 determine the quantity of iron still remaining in the tissues, 

 as well as in the fluid and solid matters which I had obtained 

 from them. I say remaining quantities; for the amount I 

 extracted could be only a small proportion of that taken 

 by the deceased, as he had vomited nearly constantly for 

 twelve hours, and been also purged. 



I found by experiment that it was impossible to extract 

 all the oxide of iron, by simply carbonizing the matters, and 

 treating them with aqua regia, evaporating to dryness, and 

 washing ; but it was essential that the carbon should be per- 

 fectly removed by calcination, before the whole of the iron 

 could be removed. 



