582 
WANTON CRUELTY. 
Mr. Horsley also states that by the above test the plea 
for the non-detection of strychnia in the presence of morphia 
no longer holds good, as experiments with live and even ten 
times the amount of morphia have proved. 
In reference to the above test, Mr. J. E. D. Rodgers, 
writing to the editor of the Chemical News, says, cc Some years 
ago, while engaged upon an extensive series of experiments 
with strychnine, among other reagents the nitro-prusside of 
sodium was tried by me, and put aside as valueless as a 
means of detecting that alkaloid. It was, therefore, with 
much surprise that I read Mr. Horsley’s statements in your 
valuable journal of the 21st ult. He has evidently fallen 
into a mistake by using something else for the nitro-prusside 
of sodium, probably the ferri-cyanide of potassium, as the 
former reagent has no reaction whatever upon strychnine 
under the circumstances detailed.” 
ANTIDOTE EOR STRYCHNINE. 
It is stated in the Sydney Morning Herald that a valuable 
sheep dog belonging to Mr. Morlyn, J.P., Murrurundi, 
having accidentally eaten this deadly poison, a dose of arsenic 
was administered to abbreviate the animal’s sufferings, but, 
strange to say, it had a contrary effect, and the dog re¬ 
covered. The same peculiarity was observed on two other 
occasions. 
« 
WANTON CRUELTY. 
During the past few days some maliciously disposed 
person has been strewing poison about the streets of the city 
of Exeter, for the purpose evidently of killing dumb animals. 
In Cowick Street, St. Thomas’s, several dogs and cats have 
been poisoned with strychnine, which was placed on large 
heaps of rubbish, and on Friday last a very valuable New¬ 
foundland dog, valued at £50, the property of Mr. Long, of 
the Bristol and Exeter Railway, was thus poisoned. The 
poor animal picked something off one of these heaps and ate 
it, and within a quarter of an hour it died. We under¬ 
stand Mr. Long has some clue to the person by whom the 
poison was laid. 
