TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
343 
sulpho-cyanogen. The intestines and liver did not furnish any evidence of poison. The 
result of the analysis was that potash was present in both of the stomachs to a large 
extent. It existed as carbonate of potash, and might have been taken either in the 
form of caustic potash, or carbonate of potash, or cyanide of potassium. His opinion was, 
from the presence of sulpho-cyanogen, that cyanide of potassium was the drug taken. 
It was a deadly poison, its active principle being prussic acid, and the forty grains found 
in the stomach of the woman Gribbin would represent about three grains and a tenth of 
the cyanide of potassium, the commercial cyanide, as compared with that sold by drug¬ 
gists, being an impure preparation, containing only about twenty per cent, of cyanide. 
That quantity would be quite sufficient to cause death. The not finding prussic acid 
was accounted for by the decomposition of the body, which has a tendency to destroy 
prussic acid. All the appearances were those of poisoning by cyanide of potassium, 
and he believed that to have been the cause of death in both cases. It was used gene¬ 
rally by photographers. The coroner, in summing up, observed that looking at the 
medical evidence, to the effect that there was no organ sufficiently diseased to account 
for death, and that the deaths had all the appearance of being due to cyanide of potas¬ 
sium, it was for the jury to say whether it was the cause of death. If they were of that 
opinion, it would be for them to consider under what circumstances it was taken. The 
evidence on that point was very meagre. The jury returned a unanimous verdict that 
the deceased women, Fiances Beckenham and Mary Ann Gribbin, died from the effects 
of poison, but under what circumstances it was administered there was no evidence to 
show. 
A CASE EOH THE BENEVOLENT. 
We beg to draw the attention of our readers to the case of William John A. Bentley, 
whose father was a pharmaceutical chemist, and who had been a Member of the Phar¬ 
maceutical Societj r from its foundation. 
He appears to have been, at one time, in a prosperous way of business ; but for many 
years failing health had overtaken him, and with this failing health a decline in his 
business. He died in June last, leaving four children quite unprovided for. 
Some friends, sympathizing with the orphans, are endeavouring to obtain admission 
for one of them, the subject of this notice, to the British Orphan Asylum , and we appeal 
to all our brethren who have any interest in that institution to give their support at the 
election which takes place next month. 
The case will strongly recommend itself to the sympathy of our Members, from the 
fact that the father of the candidate, although for many years possessed of the scantiest 
means, never failed in the payment of his annual subscription to the Society ; and as a 
result of this, his orphans will feel the advantage of the “Benevolent Fund” to the ex¬ 
tent the existing rules and the Fund will admit. 
This affords another proof of the value and importance of that Fund, which has been 
so warmly advocated in this Journal. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
A Manual of Materia Medica and Therapeutics ; including the Preparations 
of the British Pharmacopceia, and many other approved Medicines. By J. 
Forbes Eoyle, M.D., F.E.S., and Frederick W. Headland, M.D., B.A., F.L.S. 
Fourth edition. London: John Churchill and Sons, New Burlington Street. 18G5. 
(From the Publishers.) 
A Treatise on Smoky Chimneys, their Cure and Prevention. By Frederick 
Edwards, jun. London : Robert Hardwicke, 192, Piccadilly. 
A Manual of Chemical Analysis, Qualitative and Quantitative. For the Use of 
Students. PartII., Quantitative. By Henry M. Noad, Ph.JD., F.R.S., etc. London: 
Lovell Reeve and Co., 5, Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. 8vo. Pp. C63. 1864. 
De l’Alimentation des Enfants. Memoire de M mc Baines, a Londres. Imprime' 
dans les Annales de l’Association Internationale pour le progres des Sciences Sociales, 
congres de Gand. Londres : L. Booth, 307, Regent Street. 
