MISCELLANEA. 
520 
Arsenical Poisoning’ by Absorption.—On Saturday, February 27 th, Mr. B. L. 
Gross, one of the coroners for Suffolk, concluded an inquiry into the death of a child 
named Boatman, the daughter of a small farmer at Wissett, near Halesworth. The 
deceased was aged 9 years, and lived with her father and stepmother. The child was 
taken ill, gradually got worse, and died soon after a medical man was called in. The 
surgeon (Mr. Howard), feeling satisfied that the child died from poison, refused to certify 
the cause of death. An inquest was accordingly held, and when the jury viewed the 
body the scalp of the head was found to be in a shocking state from ringworm, and 
covered with vermin. The stepmother stated that about ten days before the death of 
the child she applied some precipitate powder and a little poison in the shape of an 
ointment to the head, to kill the vermin. The coroner ordered a post-mortem examina¬ 
tion, and the appearance of the intestines and stomach pointing to arsenical poison in 
some form or other, it was felt important to ascertain whether the child died from 
arsenical poison, and if so, how it was administered. The viscera were accordingly sent 
to Professor Taylor, who stated at the inquest that the child died from arsenic applied 
externally and absorbed into the system. The condition of the viscera, in their appear¬ 
ances, in the nature of their contents, and in the minute imponderable quantity of 
arsenic present in them, was not consistent with the supposition that arsenic had been 
given in a solid form or in a liquid form by the mouth, but it was quite consistent with 
the absorption of the poison through the skin of the scalp, and its subsequent diffusion 
by the blood. The scalp of the deceased was found to contain a large quantity of 
arsenic associated with a quantity of mercury (white precipitate), which had been ap¬ 
plied as above stated in the form of an ointment. The jury returned a verdict to the 
effect that the deceased died from the effects of an ointment containing arsenic applied 
to her head by Mrs. Boatman, she being ignorant of the consequences, and intending 
merely to heal disease of the scalp ; at the same time the jufy desired the coroner to 
express to Boatman and his wife their sense of the neglect and ill-treatment of the de¬ 
ceased. 
Explosion of Detonating Powder.—On Saturday evening, January 30th, a fata 
explosion took place at the shop of an oilman and tallow-chandler named Tripp, carry¬ 
ing on business in Havill Street, Southampton Street, Camberwell. One of his daughters 
named Anne, 30 years of age, was mixing with a knife a chemical composition, sup¬ 
posed to be phosphorus and detonating powder, although her sister had spoken to her 
several times, and pointed out the danger of using steel in mixing the composition. 
Suddenly a tremendous explosion took place. Miss Tripp was found with a knife in her 
hand, which had been partially blown away. She was much injured, and expired before 
she could be removed to St. Thomas’s Hospital. 
Deaths from Chloroform.—Two deaths from chloroform have occurred lately 
At Salisbury, an inquest was held on the body of a. young woman, named Emily Luther 
who died under the influence of chloroform, administered by Dr. II. P. Blackmore, pre¬ 
vious to an operation for fistula. The chloroform (jivss) was poured on a handkerchief 
and placed on the face, but removed previous to the operation, which lasted two or three 
minutes. From a post-mortem examination, it was shown that the liver was greatly 
enlarged, which diminished the breathing-space for the lungs, which were found to be 
extremely small, and gorged with blood. The jury returned a verdict, “ That the deceased 
died from the effects of chloroform, administered by Dr. Blackmore. They were of 
opinion that although no blame could be attached to him for want of skill, yet for the 
future it would be advisable for a second medical practitioner to be present during the 
administration.” 
The second case was also that of a young woman (Ellen Smith), under the care of 
Mr. John Gay, of Finsbury, assisted by Mr. Worley. The operation was one for a hare¬ 
lip, and the chloroform was administered with an inhaler, but not having the desired 
effect, a piece of lint, saturated with chloroform, was applied to her nostrils. In three 
or four minutes, the usual spasms, which precede the loss of sensibility, were apparent, 
when the pupil of the eye was observed to dilate rapidly, and she fell back, pulseless. 
Artificial respiration and other means were tried, but without success. The coroner, in 
summing up, spoke in strong terms upon the omission of the medical men continuously 
to watch the pulse, for had the pulse been continuously attended to, the life in this case 
might probably have been saved. He .considered it an error in judgment. The following 
verdict was returned:—“ That Ellen Smith had died from the effects of chloroform ad- 
