96 Fatal Effects from this 



water, oily mucilaginous medicines, fomentations, and ve- 

 sicatories, she appeared to experience more relief than at' 

 any period since the first attuck ; but, although the vomit- 

 ing and sickness were less violent and frequent, the pairi 

 and soreness of the abdomc;i, first complained of, never 

 entirely subsided: she wa-;, however, al)le to sit up and 

 amuse herself with a little needlework, and even to go 

 about tiie don)Cslic concerns of the family, and Mr. Che- 

 valier had proposed to "pay his final visit on the 21st. Ou 

 the niornm<>; of ibis day she rose at ten o'clock, and within 

 the space of an hour afterwards, whilst standing near the 

 desk of drawers, she suddenly exclaimed, " I am dying!" 

 She was seized with convulsions, which continued till CiVQ' 

 o'clock in the afternoon, when she expired. 



On the subsequent day, Mr. Chevalier, whose anatomi- 

 cal skill is well known, examined the body by dissection. 

 Neither the thoracic and abdoniinal viscera, nor the brain, 

 upon the most minute examinalion, exhibited the least ap- 

 pearance of disease; in short, not the least trace could be 

 discovered of any morbid affection. 



With respect tothe three other persons already mentioned 

 to have been indispi^sed, the servant maid, one of them, was 

 conveved to her friends, and recovered. A sister-in-law of 

 Mrs. R. also recovered; but the third, who was her mother- 

 in-law, died, after lingering under disease till March, 



These circumstances havniu been cursorily (Communicated 

 to the Medical Society, Dr. Adams, Dr. Hamilton, and 

 Mr. Lawrence, were requested to visit the house of this 

 unfortunate family, and to endeavour to ascertain the cause 

 of the calamity. Every culinary article and the whole pre- 

 mises were accurately examined, but without its lecidiiig to 

 any discovery. It appeared, nideed, tlial Mr. R., the hus- 

 band of the deceased ladv, bad purchased a cask of sugar 

 at a sale, a considerable part of which had been disposed of 

 to some friends in the country, who had used it without 

 inconvenience, and hence no suspicion was entertained of 

 this article having produced the fatality in Mr. R.'s fain !v. 



In this stale of uncertaiiitv, Dr. Laird, another member 

 of the Medical Society, visited the house; and, on ex- 

 aminino the cask which had contained the sugar, he ob- 

 served a white powder adhering to its iimer surface, and 

 which, on being heated by the blow- pipe on charcoal, af- 

 forded olobiles of lead in the metallic state. ' 



The mystery was thus at lengll) developed. The sugar 

 had beeiT injudiciously put into a cask whrcli had previously 

 "contained while lead. That jiart of the sugar which was 



SLUt 



