378 
MISCELLANEA. 
arranged under the heads of caustics, rubefacients, collyria, gargles, etc. We have, then, 
many useful formulas given for dietetic preparations and beverages for the sick, followed 
by a short notice of some of the more important poisons and their antidotes. The work is 
concluded by a concise and well-written article on the Use of Ether and Chloroform, by 
Dr. Morton. We should also state that we find a carefully-compiled table of the doses of 
the principal articles of the Materia Medica, and an extended and systematic index ; alto¬ 
gether, the volume appears to have been very carefully edited, and brought down to the 
present state of science. We can safely recommend it as a reliable and very useful 
guide to practitioners of medicine, and to those whose especial business it is to dispense 
prescriptions. 
MISCELLANEA. 
Royal Horticultural Society.—We are informed that, having in view the en¬ 
couragement of the study of scientific botany amongst all classes, the Eoyal Horticul¬ 
tural Society offer the following prizes:—1. One silver and two bronze medals for the 
three best collections of wild plants of each separate county of the United Kingdom, 
dried, mounted on paper, folio demy size, classified according to the natural system, and 
labelled with the name and locality where found, and the date when found. Intending 
competitors may obtain the forms of labels on sending twelve postage stamps to the 
Secretary of the Eoyal Horticultural Society, South Kensington. 2. Three gold medals 
will be given for the three best of all the collections out of all the several county 
collections. Not more than one of the medals can be awarded in one county. The 
collections must be delivered on or before the 31st December, 1864, to the Secretary of 
the Eoyal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, carriage free, marked with a 
number or cypher, and accompanied with a sealed letter containing the collector’s name, 
the address, and the price at which the collection can be sold or another made. A So¬ 
ciety’s gold medal will also be awarded to every exhibitor of a new species of plant 
found growing in the United Kingdom .—Daily News. 
Poisoning- by Arsenic.—Miss Amelia Huband, a young lady who w r as staying 
with the Eev. J. E. Vernon, curate of Himbleton, near Droitwich, and who was niece of 
his wife, died in October last after a short illness. She was buried on the certificate of 
Mr. Bishop, surgeon, of Worcester, that the cause of death was bilious cholera and syn¬ 
cope. Kumours, however, got abroad that she had come by her death unfairly, and these 
coming to the ears of the coroner, Mr. Hughes, the body was ordered to be exhumed. 
A post-mortem examination then disclosed the fact that the deceased was five or six 
months pregnant, and the state of the stomach was such that it was sent to a chemist for 
analysis, the inquest being deferred until Friday, Nov. 27. The first witness called was 
Miss Trotman, who had seen the deceased shortly before her death. Miss Huband had 
complained of violent headache on the 6th, and at night made some gruel. Next morn¬ 
ing witness was informed that she had been ill all night and had vomited, and about 9 
o’clock on the morning of the 7th she died. Mr. Budd, surgeon, of Worcester, received 
the stomach and intestines of the deceased from Mr. Bishop, surgeon, who had made the 
post-mortem examination ; and he, with the assistance of Mr. Perrins, chemist, of Worces¬ 
ter, had analysed the contents, and found abundant proof of the presence of arsenic. 
Being questioned as to the circumstances attending the death and interment of the 
deceased, Mr. Bishop stated that he had been requested by Miss Huband’s brother to 
attend his sister. He was unable to go at the time, but from the description of the 
symptoms he concluded that the deceased had a bilious attack, and he prescribed accord¬ 
ingly. He went to see the patient in the evening, when he found that she had died soon 
after the messenger had been dispatched in the morning. He certified that she had died 
of bilious diarrhoea and syncope; but, until he had made a post-mortem examination, he 
had no idea that death had been the result of unfair means. It was stated in evidence 
that a man named Cole had been in the habit of visiting Miss Huband secretly, and it 
appeared that he was aware of her condition, and had proposed marriage. A large packet 
of arsenic, of which Mrs. Vernon had no knowledge, was found by the police in a cup¬ 
board of the house. The jury returned the following verdict:—“ That deceased was several 
months pregnant, and died from the effects of arsenic ; but whether taken by herself, or 
given to her by any other person, there was no evidence to show.” 
