MINERAL POISONS. 91 



urine, I thought it probable that arsenic might 

 be separated with the urine also ; but Mr. Brande 

 (to whom I am indebted for assistance on the 

 present, as I have been on many other occa- 

 sions) could never detect the smallest trace of 

 arsenic in it.* 



IV. Experiments with the Muriate of Barytes. 



When barytes is taken into the stomach, or 

 applied to a wound, it is capable of destroying 

 life ; but when in its uncombined state its action 

 is very slow. The muriate of barytes, which is 

 much more soluble than the pure earth, is (pro- 

 bably on this account) a much more active 

 poison. 



EXPERIMENT V. 



Ten grains of muriate of barytes rubbed very 

 fine, and moistened with two drops of water, 

 were applied to two wounds in the thigh and 

 side of a rabbit. In four minutes he was evi- 

 dently under the influence of the poison. In a 

 short time he became giddy : then his hind legs 

 were paralysed ; and he gradually fell into a 

 state of insensibility, with dilated pupils, and 

 lay in general motionless, but with occasional 

 convulsions. The pulse beat 150 in a minute, 

 but feebly, and it occasionally intermitted. He 



* See Additional Note H. 



