CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 
463 
means of hydrochloric acid, or some other appropriate sol¬ 
vent.* 5 Now, admitting that arsenious acid does become 
combined with albuminoid bodies, in the manner described, 
and also, under some circumstances—recent cases submitted 
to analysis—it is absolutely necessary to employ more com¬ 
plex means to demonstrate the presence of the poisonous 
element in the tissue of an organ impregnated, I contend 
that in the case submitted in my report it was not, for pre¬ 
liminary purposes, actually necessary. 
From the proneness to decomposition of nitrogenous 
animal organic compounds, and from the fact of their main¬ 
taining with so little tenacity their combinations with other 
elements, is it not natural to suppose that, when exposed, as 
in this case, for upwards of half a year, to circumstances 
favorable to spontaneous decomposition, that the albuminoid 
combination of arsenious acid was resolved, and consequently 
the poisonous element in question must and was in a state 
fit for dissolving out with boiling water. It is true that the 
viscera submitted was in a fair state of preservation, owing, 
I infer, to the antiseptic properties of arsenious acid and 
biline, but, notwithstanding, from the amount of fetid gaseous 
compounds evolved, no one present would have disputed the 
fact that putrefactive decomposition was not rapidly pro¬ 
gressing. In the second place, in the letter referred to it is 
stated, “that if we succeeded in dissolving out arsenic from 
the liver, the solution obtained would be so largely con¬ 
taminated with foreign substances as to render it unfit for 
the ammonia sulphate of copper and ammonia nitrate of 
silver tests. 55 The repeatedly filtered solution obtained was 
certainly slightly (not largely) contaminated ; before applying 
the tests, it seemed apparently quite clear. The precipitates 
were so characteristic and distinct—soluble in excess of 
ammonia, with the exception of a slight trace of cloudiness 
at the bottom of the tube—that even the unpractised eye 
could scarcely have mistaken them; from this fact, then, 
gentlemen, I contend that in this case, for preliminary pur¬ 
poses, it was expedient to apply the ammonia sulphate of 
copper and ammonia nitrate of silver tests. The two next 
tests employed are stated to be quite new to Professor Tuson, 
and in reference to which it is said that the third test em¬ 
ployed, viz., “chloride of calcium, 55 does not give any pre¬ 
cipitate with an aqueous solution of arsenious acid. This 
circumstance we were quite aware of, but by adding a single 
drop of ammonia to an aqueous solution of arsenious acid, as 
used in the laboratory for demonstrative purposes, the white 
precipitate, the arsenite of lime, is instantly developed. From 
