726 
CASES OF POISONING—ACCIDENTAL AND CRIMINAL. 
lent character, like silver and hydrogen. In the first equation, we see that 
the group S0 4 is united with H 2 on the one side, and with Na ? on the other. 
This tells us that Na is another univalent atom, and that S0 4 is bivalent. 
We may speak sometimes of one atom or two atoms of N 0 3 or of S 0 4 , and 
these are examples of what was meant when it was said, in a former para¬ 
graph, that the term atom was advantageously extended even to compounds, 
provided they remain entire or undecompounded in passing from one state of 
union to another. 
The various constituent atoms, whether elementary or compound, forming 
compound bodies, are frequently termed “radicles.” Radicles are univalent, 
bivalent, trivalent, quadrivalent, quinquivalent, or sexivalent. Examples 
will occur frequently in studying the Pharmacopceial chemistry, to which we 
now proceed. 
CASES OF POISONING—ACCIDENTAL AND CRIMINAL. 
Deaths from Narcotic Fosion. —On Wednesday, December 22, an inquest was 
held at Mile End, respecting the death of a child three weeks old. According to the 
evidence of the mother, the child was ill and sleepless, and a sleeping draught was ob¬ 
tained from a chemist, the mother gave the draught to the child who went to sleep 
and never woke again. A surgeon stated that the child died from congestion of the 
brain, accelerated from an overdose of narcotic poison, and the jury returned a verdict 
to that effect. 
On the previous day an inquest was held at Warrington, before Mr. C. E. Driffield, 
respecting the death of an infant, Catherine Ward, ten weeks old. It appeared that the 
child had a cough, and the mother took it to the shop of a druggist, whose assistant 
sold her something in a bottle, desiring her to give the child twelve drops, three or four 
times a day. She gave it the whole of the medicine, and the child died. The coroner 
said that he could not help thinking that poor people had no idea of what a drop was. 
It was surprising that druggists had no better sense than to give medicine containing 
poisons to be administered in drops. It was quite possible that an overdose had been 
given to the child. The jury returned an open verdict. 
[Had the coroner been better acquainted with the practice of the medical profession, 
with reference to ordering medicine to be taken in drops, he would probably have been 
rather less sweeping in his censure of the druggist in this case.] 
An inquest was held at Wigan, on the same day; this case was also that of a child 
aged four years. A week previously the child was taken ill, and her parents went to a 
herbalist, named Daniel Flight, and obtained some medicine. Several doses were given 
to the child, which did not improve, and Mr. White, a surgeon, was called in, but too 
late to save the child’s life. 
J. Campbell Brown, B.Sc., of Liverpool, made an analysis of the medicine, and he 
found it contained 035 per cent, of opium, or 1|- grains to the fluid ounce. Mr. White 
considered the treatment to be improper, as a powder given to the deceased contained 2 
grains of gamboge, more than should be given to an adult under ordinary circum¬ 
stances. The coroner sent for Flight, but it was found that he had left the town. The 
jury returned a verdict that the deceased died from exhaustion and debility ; and ex¬ 
pressed their opinion that the medicine supplied by Flight was dangerous and improper 
to be given, except under the advice of a properly qualified medical man. 
An inquest was held, January 14, on the body of a man named Dillon, who had been 
poisoned by taking an overdose of opium. He had complained of being unable to sleep, 
and it was found that he had taken sufficient opium to kill several persons. 
Suicide by Chloride of Zinc. —An inquest was held on Saturday, January 1st, 
by Dr. Lankester, at Holloway, on the body of Mrs. Philips, aged 46, who died at her 
residence in Loraine Road from the effects of poison. It appeared that Mrs. Philips 
had been much depressed from family bereavement, and that on the previous Wednesday 
she sent her servant for Mr. Moxon, surgeon, observing that she was very bad. Mr. 
