266 
POISONING OF CATTLE BY ARSENIC. 
borrow's brother as to the probability of finding the poison 
if the carcases were exhumed. To which I replied, that 
if it was a mineral poison (which I suspected it was) 
there would still be a chance of finding it on an analysis of 
the viscera. But I rather dissuaded him than otherwise as to 
the taking of such a step—so long a period having elapsed 
since the last death—that even if the poison were found, and 
he should suspect foul play, it would be difficult to criminate 
any party. However, on the l6th of May I received a mes¬ 
sage to the effect that I was to go the next day to Mr. Thorn- 
borrow’s to witness the exhuming of the last cow that died, 
and to bring away a portion of the viscera for the purpose of 
analysis which I might require. 
I may here state that on removing the soil from off the 
carcase, the vacuum caused by the partial decomposition of 
the body had become filled with water, the animal having 
been buried in a damp piece of ground. The flesh was nearly 
macerated off the ribs. On removing the latter, the liver, 
part of the small intestines, with the mesentery, and one of 
the kidneys floated on the surface .of the water in a fair 
state of preservation. The stench being unbearable, we made 
no further search for any other parts. I cut off a portion of 
the liver, the small intestines, and the kidney, and placed 
them in a glass vessel, tied close down, and brought them 
home with me. Thinking that two corroborative opinions 
might satisfy my employers better than one uncorroborated, 
I obtained the assistance of a friend, Mr. T. Walton, expe¬ 
rimental chemist, residing near Brough, and together we 
made the analysis, of which the following is a report. 
Premising that the parts contained some mineral poison, 
soluble in boiling water, we placed a portion of the liver in 
a tumbler with some clear rain water sufficient to cover it. 
After subjecting this to boiling heat, on a sand bath, for about 
half an hour, the suspected fluid was twice filtered through 
bibulous paper, and then portions of it were subjected to 
the following reagents: 
1 . Ammonio-sulphate of copper, which gave a grass-green 
precipitate,—Scheele’s green. 
2. Ammonio-nitrate of silver, a flocculent yellow precipitate, 
soluble in excess of ammonia. 
3. Chloride of calcium, a white precipitate. 
4. Caustic potash, with excess of ammonia, being added to a 
portion, it was treated with a solution of sulphate of copper. 
On the application of heat, the red suboxide of copper was 
deposited at the bottom of the tube, indicative of the presence 
