BOOKS RECEIVED. 
379 
Accidental Poisoning.—On Monday, Dec. 28, several men in the employ of Messrs. 
Leberier, dyers, Mile-End, drank beer from a can which had previously contained a 
mixture called “ Springfield’s Patent,” which appears to be a solution of arsenic. They 
were all seized with symptoms of poisoning, and one of them, John Herring, died in con¬ 
sequence. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that death was caused by accident. 
Another case occurred at Oswestry, in which a man named Wilson was supplied by a 
druggist with several packets of saltpetre in mistake for Epsom salts. One of these was 
taken dissolved in water, and was followed almost immediately with vomiting and pain. 
A surgeon was sent for, but the man died in a few minutes after his arrival. The quan¬ 
tity in each of the packets is not mentioned. Verdict, “ Accidentally poisoned.” 
A third case is a repetition of that which has been so lamentably frequent ,—laudanum 
in mistake for tincture of rhubarb. It appeared that Mrs. Farr, of Wigan, sent to Mr. 
Kellett, druggist, for three-pennyworth of tincture of rhubarb, half-a-teaspoonful of 
■which she gave to her infant, and as unusual symptoms were observed, a surgeon was 
sent for, when it was discovered that the phial contained laudanum. Of course, the child 
died in a few hours. Mr. Kellett did not deny having served it, but could not account 
for the mistake. The verdict of the jury was to the effect “ That death had resulted from 
a dose of laudanum given in mistake; and Mr. Kellett was exonerated from criminal lia¬ 
bility ;” but the foreman desired to say, in the name of the jury, that in their opinion 
bottles containing poisonous drugs ought, under no circumstances, to be near those con¬ 
taining medicines in hourly requisition. They thought, too, that labels ought to be in 
English, and plainly printed, so that mistakes should be less liable to occur. 
Alleged Poisoning by Aconite.—An inquest has been held before Mr. Hum¬ 
phreys, coroner, on the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Morris, aged 34, who, it was suspected, 
had died from the effects of aconite. It seems that the deceased did not live very happily 
with her husband, and on Thursday, Nov. 19th, he had given her what he called 
“ head and stomach pills.” Shortly afterwards she became very ill and was seized with 
convulsions, and died at four o’clock the following morning. A post-mortem examination 
was made, and the contents of the stomach sent to Dr. Letheby, who however failed to 
detect any poison, but it was proved that death did not result from natural causes. The 
jury, after some deliberation, returned the following verdict:—“That the deceased, Eliza 
Morris, died suddenly at 34, Grey Eagle Street, Spitalfields, on the 20th of November; 
and the jurors do further say that her said death did not arise from natural causes.” 
Fire Caused by Sgnifcicn of Phosphorus.—A fire which at one time threat¬ 
ened very disastrous results occurred on the 14th of January, on the premises of Messrs. 
Wm. Huskisson and Sons, of Swinton Street, Gray’s Inn Road, arising from the acci¬ 
dental fall of a tin of phosphorus. The concussion caused by the fall occasioned the 
ignition of the phosphorus ; and as the accident happened within a very short distance 
of a large store of sweet spirit of nitre, much alarm was occasioned. The fire, however, 
was subdued before any great amount of damage was done to the stock, although, from 
the burniug of so large a quantity of phosphorus, great volumes of the dense fumes 
of phosphoric acid filled and surrounded the premises, to the astonishment of the 
assembled crowd. 
We are sorry to record the death of Mr. Thomas Cutting, of Selby, who died on 
the 19th ultimo. Mr. Cutting was a staunch supporter of the Society, and rendered an 
essential service in the passing of the Juries Bill. 
BOOKS IIBCB2VBD. 
The Dental Review; a Quarterly Journal op Dental Science. January, 1864. 
New Series, No. I., Vol. I. London: Robert Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly. Edin¬ 
burgh : Maclachlan and Stewart. Dublin : Fannin and Co. Philadelphia: Lindsay 
and Blakeston. 
The Second Step in Chemistry ; or, the Student’s Guide to the Higher Branches 
op the Science. By Robert Galloway, F.C.S., etc. With Illustrations on Wood. 
London: John Churchill and Sons. 8vo, pp. 774. 1864. (From the Publishers.') 
The Medical Mirror ; a Monthly Magazine op Current Medical Literature and 
News. Vol. I., No. I. 1864. London: H. K. Lewis, Gower Street North. Edin¬ 
burgh : Maclachlan and Stewart. Dublin: Fannin and Co. (From the Editor.) 
