212 PROFESSOR H, E. ROSCOE ON THE ALLEGED 



This arsenious acid^ which was enclosed in a dirty blue 

 paper bag, was brought by a Styrian peasant woman to 

 the district judge of Knittelfeld in Styria ; the woman 

 stated that she had taken the parcel from her farm labourer, 

 whom she had caught in the act of secretly eating the 

 arsenic. The following certificate was forwarded to me 

 with the parcel containing the arsenious acid : 



{Translation.) — "This Hidrach* was delivered to me 

 by a peasant woman from Mittenlobing whose name I am 

 unacquainted with. She saw her farm-labourer secretly 

 eat it, and gave it to me in order that the bad habit might 

 be stopped. 



Heufenstein, Bezirksvorsteher. 

 Knittelfeld, 26th April, i860." 



This shows that the substance called " Hidrach" by the 

 Styi-ian peasants is arsenious acid, and not, as suggested 

 by Pr. Taylor, oxide of zinc. The following extracts from 

 some of the reports of the medical men before spoken of 

 prove that this Hidrach is well known and widely diffused 

 in Styria; they show also the sources whence the sub- 

 stance is obtained. 



Dr. Oberhammer writes from Noflach : " Arsenic is a 

 substance well known to and in great request with the 

 people of this district. It is chiefly and pretty generally 

 used to be given to horses, &c." He also says : " I myself 

 am unacquainted with any case of arsenic-eating. The 

 clergy would be able to give the most information upon 

 the subject. The clergyman Von der Graden showed me 

 two pieces of arsenious acid which he had taken from a 

 parishioner at the confessional." 



Dr. Burghardt of Kindberg says : " In lower and central 

 Styria there are a large number of glass works in which 



* "Hidrach" is the corruption of "Hiitten-rauch," by which name ar- 

 senious acid is generally known in mining districts in Germany. 



