1863.] 555 



hours, the odour of the nitrobenzole was clearly perceptible in the 

 stomach, the brain, and the lungs ; and there was always unmistake- 

 able evidence of the existence of aniline in the organs of the body. In 

 the slower cases the odour of the poison had often entirely disap- 

 peared; but generally there were distinct traces of aniline in the 

 brain and urine, and sometimes in the stomach and liver; occa- 

 sionally, however, no poison was found. 



It has appeared to me that the facts which are here elucidated are 

 very remarkable ; for they not only indicate a rare circumstance in 

 toxicology, namely, that a poison may be retained in the system for 

 many days without showing its effects, but also that the poison may 

 be changed into an entirely different substance. The importance of 

 these facts cannot be overrated; they are alike interesting to the 

 chemist, the physiologist, and the medical jurist; for, without dwelling 

 on a very possible occurrence namely, the criminal administration 

 of this poison, with the knowledge that the effects would be delayed, 

 that the symptoms would correspond to those of natural disease, that 

 the progress of the case would be lingering, and that there would be 

 either no discovery of poison in the body, or the discovery of a thing 

 different from that administered it will be manifest that the study 

 of these facts by the medical jurist is of public importance. To the 

 physiologist they are also interesting, insomuch as they indicate a 

 reducing power in the animal body by the conversion of nitrobenzole 

 into aniline. I have endeavoured to ascertain whether this is due to 

 a living or a dead process. In the first place, I find that dead and 

 decomposing organic matter will effect the change alluded to ; for 

 when nitrobenzole is placed in the dead stomach, or is kept in con- 

 tact with putrid flesh for several hours, there is a partial reduction of 

 it into aniline. This may be the source of the poison found in the 

 dead body ; but, on the other hand, there is a great similarity in the 

 physiological effects of nitrobenzole and those of aniline. 



When aniline is given to dogs and cats in doses of from twenty to 

 sixty drops, it causes rapid loss of voluntary power. The animal 

 staggers in its gait, looks perplexed, and falls upon its side powerless. 

 Its head is drawn back, the pupils are widely dilated, there are 

 slight twitchings or pasms of the muscles, the breathing is difficult, 

 the action of the hear t is tumultuous, and the animal quickly passes 

 into a state of coma. From this it never recovers, but remains upon 



