1886.] The Fost-Mortem Imbtbition of Fotsons. 103 
bored such hatred toward their fellow-men that they have not 
faltered in carrying their intentions into practice, is manifested 
by the defences set forth in the trials of various murder cases, 
which are recorded in the annals of the. tribunals of justice, not 
only of the New but also of the Old World. 
That in a number of murder cases the defence has been that 
the poison was designedly introduced into the dead body for the 
purpose of crimination is made apparent by the narration of the 
following cases: Professor John J. Reese, M.D., in his article on 
the Post-Mortem Imbibition of Poisons (Transactions of the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons, 1877), relates a remarkable 
case of alleged arsenical poisoning, which occurred in one of the 
Western States. The suspicions were exceedingly strong that 
the poison was introduced after death for various reasons, The 
old man having been treated in his last illness for phthisis, 
his physician testifying to his having died of this disease, and to 
his having presented no symptoms of arsenical poisoning before 
death 
The body was buried four (4) years, during which time no sus- 
picion of foul play appears to have been entertained. In the 
meantime, the widow again married, and the suspicion of poison- 
ing was bruited about. The woman was accused of the crime, 
the body was exhumed, and a chemical analysis revealed the 
presence of this poison in the stomach and liver. _ 
The defence was that the poison was designedly introduced 
into the body not very long before the disinterment, the body 
ing kept in a vault. The case, singularly enough, having had a 
preliminary hearing, was abandoned. 
Illustrative of the same, we have an article by Dr. Victor C. 
ag (physician and surgeon, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug. 
883): “ During the past six months there has been tried in this 
B a murder case, in which the question arose whether arsen- 
ious oxide could diffuse after death, after it had been mixed with 
water, and injected into the rectum or mouth or both.” 
Since direct experiments by others, and by the author himself, 
as will be seen hereafter, seem to prove that the absorption 
of poisons after death does take place, it must necessarily — 
me an important factor how in such cases to differentiate 
eet from post-mortem poisoning. The methods are 
very limited. Perhaps the most reliable as well as the most con- 
