254 
SUICIDE BY PRUSSIC ACID. 
of sulphur. The regulus is again calcined to throw off the sulphur, and the subsequent 
processes of refining take place. 
I effect the saving of sulphur by calcining in long furnaces, the bed being heated 
from below, air being made to travel from one end of the furnace to the other over the 
heated ore, the air and S0 2 being passed from the furnace directly to the lead chambers, 
the ore being at regular intervals made to traverse in an opposite direction, coming out 
calcined where the air enters. The calcination of regulus is exactly similar in both 
cases; the calcination is only carried to a certain point, 8 to 9 per cent, of sulphur being 
left in both the ore and regulus. 
This process, carried out for several years chiefly in vitriol works, is now being suc¬ 
cessfully employed by the Goole Alum Smelting Company, on a large scale, as a copper- 
smelting process. It has been in operation there for over twelve months, and at present 
150 to 200 tons of mixed ores are being smelted weekly. These ores are Cornish, 
Swedish, Norwegian, and Spanish. 
About two months ago I sent down one of my chemical assistants to superintend, 
during a month, some large working experiments, analysing the results at every stage, 
so that reliable data might be got. One of these experiments I append, and, as 
it is typical of the general operations, it may safely be taken as indicating what is being 
done. 
10^ tons Cornish ores, containing 19 per cent, sulphur 1 
13^ „ Spanish smalls, „ 47 „ „ J 
Sulphur. 
j mixture ”) tons. cts. qrs. lbs. 
I 33’3 per cent. ) = 8 0 0 0 
This was calcined, the S0 2 going to the vitriol chamber. The 
result was 22 tons of calcined ore, containing 8 per cent, sulphur 115 0 0 
The ore when smelted, gave 2 tons 15 cwt. of regulus, containing 
28 per cent, sulphur.0 15 1 20 
The loss in sulphur dissipated is therefore.0 19 2 8 
This regulus calcined, the S0 2 going to the vitriol chamber be¬ 
came 2 tons 10 cwt., containing 9 per cent, of sulphur ... 0 4 2 20 
No more sulphur can be economized, therefore the total loss of 
sulphur is.14 10 
Or as under, 
Sulphur economized.84-8 per cent. 
Sulphur lost.15'4 „ 
Total sulphur in ore.100’0 
SUICIDE BY PRUSSIC ACID. 
An inquest was held on Wednesday, October 9th, at Mortimer House, Reading, on 
the body of Richard Pritchard Smith, M.D., who committed suicide on the previous 
Monday by taking prussic acid. It appears that the deceased had for some time shown 
signs of a disordered mind, having repeatedly manifested a desire to destroy himself, in con¬ 
sequence of which his medical attendant had advised the necessity of putting him under 
restraint. On Monday morning deceased went into Reading, and while there he purchased 
an ounce of prussic acid from Mr. Timothy, chemist and druggist, Castle Street, who did 
not know of the unsound state of the Doctor’s mind, but having mentioned the circum¬ 
stance to Dr. Wells, who knew deceased’s condition, a message was speedily sent to Mor¬ 
timer House, warning his attendants. Dr. Wells shortly afterwards arrived from Read¬ 
ing, and ordered the drawer, in which the deceased had locked the poison, to be broken 
open, but as this was impracticable, the door of the study was locked and the key 
delivered to Professor Goldwin Smith, son of the deceased, by whom the key was given up 
to the deceased, after lie had declared that he had not put the poison in the study. The 
deceased retired to his study, and shortly afterwards, the housekeeper, hearing him 
