216 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September 9,1871. 
Amelia Mill, nurse to Mrs. Boys, said: On the 11th ; 
of August she received some cakes in the box produced i 
from Mrs. Boys. She ate part of one of the tartlets, and 
about a quarter of an hour afterwards she felt very 
sick, and about one hour afterwards she was taken 
very sick indeed. She felt a burning sensation in the 
throat and chest. Her sickness continued all the after¬ 
noon and evening. She felt very giddy, and trembled 
very much for three or four days. She continued very 
ill. Mr. Blaker, the doctor, saw witness about eleven 
o’clock that night, and was in attendance on her for 
nearly a week; it was quite a fortnight before she reco¬ 
vered. Both of Mrs. Boys’ children had a part of one 
of the currant cakes; the younger child, five minutes 
after eating the cake, became very ill; the other child 
only had a very small piece of the tart, and after dinner 
she looked very pale and ill. Witness was obliged to 
make her lie down. Both the little girls were in good 
health before they partook of any of the cake. 
Mr. Blaker, M.R.C.S., stated that he was sent for by 
Mrs. Boys on Friday, the 11th, to see the nurse and 
parlour-maid. The nurse was constantly vomiting, and 
was suffering from pains in the stomach, and, to use her 
own words, was “indescribably ill.” Witness attended 
the nurse for more than a week. From the symptoms, 
he believed that she was suffering from an irritant 
poison, which ho believed to be arsenic. He had a piece 
of one of the cakes given to him by the cook, which he 
put on the top of a high press in the kitchen. He re¬ 
ceived from Mrs. Boys a portion of a cake, which he 
took to the dispensary at the hospital. It had a sub¬ 
stance upon it which looked like sugar. Subsequently 
he received it back from the dispenser, and handed it to 
the inspector of police. 
Mr. Smith, dispenser at the Sussex County Hospital, 
said that on the 12th of August ho received a package 
from Mr. Blaker, containing some cake. He analysed 
fifteen grams of the cake for arsenic, and found it to 
contain five decigrams and eight centigrams ; of sul¬ 
phide of arsenic, between seven and a half and eight 
grains. This was a sufficient quantity, in his opinion, 
to destroy life. 
The case was then adjourned. 
The prisoner was brought up again, on remand, on 
Thursday, September 7th. 
Evidence was then given tracing a piece of cake from 
Mrs. Boys to Messrs. Glaisycr and Kemp, and from 
them, through Inspector Gibbs, to Professor Rogers. 
Professor Rogers said He remembered receiving 
several packets, numbered 5, 6, and 7, from Inspector 
Gibbs. He had analysed their contents. Each packet 
contained a piece of cake, and each piece of cake con¬ 
tained a quantity of arsenic, a dangerous quantity. The 
piece of cake in packet No. 7 weighed 57 grains, and of 
that there was about a grain and a quarter of arsenious 
acid, or white arsenic. The arsenic was in the propor¬ 
tion of eleven grains and two-tenths to an ounce of cake. 
He could not state whether the arsenic in this specimen 
had been mixed with the cake before it was baked, as it 
was much crumbled up. 
Mr. Samuel William Bradbury was then called. He 
stated that ho resides at Alton, in Staffordshire. In July 
last he had a shop at 21, North Road. About the 21st of 
that month he received a letter of that date (now pro¬ 
duced). It was enclosed in an envelope, and was de¬ 
livered by a boy at his shop. He did not know the 
boy. He supplied the article ordered in the letter— 
three ounces of arsenic. 
Mr. Netherclift stated that the letter was in the same 
handwriting as the others. [The letter, which was read, 
purported to be from Messrs. Glaisyer and Kemp, and 
requested him to supply them with three ounces of 
white arsenic, of which they were in immediate want, 
and to send it by the bearer.] The witness continued— 
He wrapped it in three papers and gave it to the boy, 
who tendered him a shilling. ITe charged three-half- 
o o 
pence for the arsenic, and the boy took it away. Did 
not know the boy. 
It having been intimated that the prisoner would re¬ 
serve her defence, she was then committed for trial on 
the charge of attempting to poison Mrs. Beard. 
The prisoner was then charged with causing the death 
by poison of a boy named Sidney Albert Baker. The 
evidence given was, to a great extent, similar to a portion 
of that brought forward at the inquest on the boy and 
already reported (p. 17). In addition two boys were 
produced, who said that a lady, whom they believed to- 
be the prisoner, had sent them to Mr. Maynard’s to pur¬ 
chase creams. On their return with the creams the lady' 
had told them they' had brought the wrong sort, and 
sent them back to change them. The theory' put forth 
by 7 the prosecution was that the lady in question was the 
prisoner, while in her possession the creams were tam¬ 
pered with, and that they 7 were afterwards returned to 
Mr. Maynard, and placed by r him with his other stock. 
Dr. Letheby said he had analysed the chocolate creams 
given him by’ Inspector Gibbs. They contained a great 
deal of stiychnia, generally in the proportion of 5 grains 
to the 100. The minutest portion would be extremely 
bitter. Each of the large chocolate drops contained fivo 
or six grains. One grain might bo regarded as a fatal 
dose, but half a grain has been known to destroy life. 
The prisoner was then further remanded till ilie next 
day. 
PoiSOXIXG I!Y A LOTIOX OF C'OMIOSIVE SUBLIMATE, 
An inquest was held a day or two ago by r Mr. Kcmm, 
coroner, at Elm Grove, Chippenham, the residence of 
Mr. R. N. Fowler, M.P., touching the death of Mr. 
Fowler’s daughter, Harriet Maria, a child nine y'ears of 
age. Mr. Goldney 7 , M.P., was foreman of the juiy. Mr. 
Keary, solicitor, of Corsham, attended to watch the pro¬ 
ceedings on behalf of Mr. Fowler, and Dr. E. M. Meeres,, 
of Melksham, under whose care the deceased had been 
placed, was also in attendance. 
Elizabeth Saturley, nurse, said that on Friday 7 , the 
1st inst., the deceased died at about a quarter to eight 
in the morning. On Monday 7 , the 21st August, wit¬ 
ness had taken her to Dr. Meeres, at Melksham, to have 
her head examined. Ho said she had ringworm, and 
gave her a lotion to wash the head with twice a day 7 , 
and some medicine. She applied the lotion and gave the 
medicine as directed. Dr. Meeres called on the Wednes¬ 
day following and ordered the head to be shaved, which 
was done the following day, and the lotion and medicine 
were continued as before. On Monday 7 , the 28th, Dr. 
Meeres saw deceased at the house, and said witness was 
to have her head washed, and to take her to him at Melk¬ 
sham in the afternoon, and he would put an application 
to the head that he hoped would kill the disease at once. 
She took deceased to Dr. Meeres’ house, and he applied 
a liquid from a bottle with a small brush, and cautioned 
the deceased not to open her ey’cs. He said if a little 
ran down her neck it did not matter. Some of the liquid 
ran down the neck behind the car. The application gave 
the deceased no pain at the time. Witness brought hex* 
home in an open dog-cart almost immediately 7 . During: 
the journey she suffered great pain, and she appeared in 
great pain after reaching home. Witness applied cold 
cream and cold water to her face, but did nothing more 
until Dr. Meeres had seen her again the same evening. 
He seemed surprised to sec how much the head and face 
were swollen in so short a time. Deceased continued in 
great pain all night. The next morning they sent for 
Dr. Meeres, and he ordered cold water pads to be applied 
over the eyes and forehead. He was asked if there was 
any dangei’, and he assured them there was not. De¬ 
ceased still got worse, and they told Dr. Meere3 they 7 
should have further advice. They 7 telegraphed for Mr. 
Gore, of Bath. Mr. Gore and Dr. Meeres saw deceased 
