Remarks upon Arsenic. 75 



Art. VIII. — Continuation of the Remarks made upon Arsenic^* 

 considered in a m,edico-legal point of view ; by J. Lawrence 

 Smith, M. D. of Charleston, S. C. 



Messrs. Editors — Since my last letter on this subject, there has 

 been a great deal of important matter brought to light by those 

 of this place (Paris) who were interested with this subject, and I 

 had prepared a detailed account of what had been done, and was 

 on the point of sending it, when the report of the committee ap- 

 pointed by the Academy of Sciences to examine into this ques- 

 tion made its appearance. I therefore have been indticed to send 

 this instead of the other, as it will encroach much less upon your 

 Journal, and as also containing statements that are more to be 

 relied on. 



In the examination of poisoning by arsenic, all the excrements, 

 such as matter vomited, urine, &c., as well as all parts of the 

 body itself, present matter for investigation. The method by 

 which they all are examined, is essentially the same, each one 

 exacting the same careful but not difficult manipulations ; no 

 great chemical knowledge being necessary to carry them out, and 

 the reagents used are such as are to be found at every druggist's 

 shop. 



Manner of destroying the animal matter. — Our first and most 

 important step, in fact one without which it is impossible to pro- 

 ceed, is to rid ourselves of the organic matter that forms a large 

 part of the liquids and solids that are to be examined, (the liquids 

 should always be evaporated to dryness and treated as the solids 

 are.) In my last letter was stated, what was then considered the 

 best method of carbonizing the animal matter ; but since MM. 

 Danger and Flandin have described another, which from the re- 

 port of the committee of the Academy, is almost as simple a one 

 as can be desired, it being greatly superior to that by nitric acid 

 and nitrate of potash in many points of view, which will be evi- 

 dent to all those who may wish to compare them. 



" The matter being placed in a capsule of porcelain, (evapora- 

 ting dish,) we add to it about one sixth of its weight of sulphu- 

 ric acid, and heat slowly until sulphuric acid vapors begin to ap- 



* See this Journal, Vol. xl, p. 278. 



