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Ordinary Meeting, October 30th, 1860. 

 Dr. J. P. Joule, President, in the Chair. 



A Paper was read by Dr. H. E. Roscoe, entitled, " On 

 the Alleged Practice of Arsenic Eating in Styria." 



Professor Roscoe being anxious to obtain further definite 

 information respecting the extraordinary statements of Von 

 Tschudi, quoted by Johnston in his " Chemistry of Common 

 Life," that persons in Styria are in the habit of regularly 

 taking doses of arsenious acid, varying in quantity from 2 

 to 5 grains daily, was supplied through the kindness of his 

 friend Professor Pebal, of Lemberg, with a series of letters 

 written by seventeen medical men of Styria, to the government 

 medical inspector at Gratz, concerning the alleged practice. 

 After reviewing the opinions of Dr, Taylor, Mr. Kesteven, 

 and Mr. Heisch, upon the subject, and having mentioned the 

 results and conclusions arrived at by those who had pre- 

 viously interested themselves with the subject, Mr. Roscoe 

 stated that all the letters received from the medical men in 

 Styria agree in acknowledging the general prevalence of a 

 belief that certain persons are in the habit of continually 

 taking arsenic in quantities usually supposed sufficient to 

 produce death. Many of the reporting medical men had no 

 experience of the practice; others describe certain cases of 

 arsenic eating which have not come under their personal 

 notice, but which they have been told of by trustworthy 

 people whose names are given ; whilst others, again, report 

 Proceedings— Lit. & Phil. Society— No. 3.— Session, 1860-61. 



