CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 
465 
had elapsed between the death of the animal and the ex¬ 
huming the viscera for the purpose of submitting it to 
analysis, and also the circumstances under which it was 
effected whilst under the soil for upwards of half a year, they 
being extremely favorable to spontaneous decomposition, 
and a resolution of the atoms of an animal nitrogenous com¬ 
bination with arsenious acid, he w 7 ould have come to the 
conclusion that there was not so much ground for engaging 
in criticism as a superficial view of the report suggested. 
However, as I am not prejudiced by either a controversial 
spirit or a party feeling, I must leave Professor Tuson to 
form his own opinion as to the correctness or incorrectness 
of any chemical analysis which may be recorded in the pages 
of your journal. My paper was submitted to you for pub¬ 
lication as an authentic statement of the facts contained in 
it, and simply with the view that it might perhaps be of ser¬ 
vice to some of your numerous readers who belong to the 
profession generally, in drawing their attention to an evil, 
either malicious or accidental, which I fear is but of too fre¬ 
quent occurrence, and which requires to be checked in its 
progress. I am. Gentlemen, 
Yours obediently. 
To the Editors of the ‘ Veterinarian .’ 
[On the receipt of the above communication we handed it 
- to our colleague, Professor Tuson, whose reply we now- 
insert. With this, the correspondence must cease.— Eds.] 
REJOINDER BY PROFESSOR TUSON. 
Dear Sihs, —Having read, at your request, Mr. Harri¬ 
son’s last letter, in which he attempts to vindicate the methods 
of analysis adopted by him, as described in the May number 
of the Veterinarian , I am induced to ask the insertion of the 
following remarks in the next number of your journal. 
In reply to the statements made in the letter referred to, ex¬ 
tending from line 10, p. 143, to line 24, I beg to state that 
whether the animal tissue existed under “ circumstances favor¬ 
able to spontaneous decomposition,” or whether it “ was in a 
fair state of preservation,” w r ater was a most inappropriate 
solvent. An aqueous solution of the liver, although filtered a 
thousand times, and although perfectly transparent and colour¬ 
less, would, in consequence of the organic matter which it con¬ 
tained in solution, be unsuited for the application of the am- 
monio-nitrate of silver, and ammonio-sulphate of copper tests. 
These two reagents would give precipitates in an aqueous so- 
xxxv. 30 
