ACCLIMATISATION OF ANIMALS. 41 
that those which he had selected would suffice in all cases 
for demonstrating the presence of the poison. 
The frequent occurrence of arsenic as an impurity in sul¬ 
phuric acid and zinc created for some years a degree of dis¬ 
trust in the results obtained by the application of Marsh’s 
process. Some toxicologists employed hydrochloric acid in 
place of the sulphuric, but this is liable to contamination with 
arsenic as a result of the distillation of salt with arsenical 
sulphuric acid. A large quantity of impure sulphuric acid is 
annually manufactured in this country, chiefly for agricul¬ 
tural purposes. From the researches of Dr. Davy it would 
appear that arsenic is thus conveyed into manures; and 
crops grown from the manured soil are found to be more or 
less impregnated with the poison.* He found the proportion 
of arsenious acid contained in the commercial sulphuric acid 
to be one grain to an ounce. Dr. Rees found the proportion 
to be 13’5 grains in twelve fluid ounces, and Mr. Watson 
found 21*3 grains in the same quantity of acid. Zinc not 
unfrequently contains both arsenic and antimony, and Dr. 
Clark, of Aberdeen, informed me some years since that he 
had scarcely found a sample of zinc free from traces of 
arsenic. Within a recent period more care has been given 
to the purification of these substances, so that the acid and 
metal may now be obtained without difficulty in a state fitted 
for use in Marsh’s process. It need hardly be observed, how¬ 
ever, that they should not be employed in any investigation 
until they have been submitted to a preliminary testing in 
quantities equal to those which are to be employed in the 
process. 
(To be continued .) 
ACCLIMATISATION OF ANIMALS. 
At the weekly meeting of theSociety ofArtsheld on the 29th 
ult.,a paper onthe u Acclimatisation of Animals” was presented 
by Mr.F.T.Buckland,M. A.,assistant-surgeon 2d Life Guards. 
He called attention to the importance of the art and science of 
acclimatisation, which might be said to comprehend the art 
of discovering animals, beasts, birds, fishes, insects, plants, 
and other natural products, and utilising them in places where 
they were unknown before. He referred to the establish¬ 
ment of La Societe Imperiale d’Acclimatation in Paris, and 
to its labours to effect the objects which he sought to 
* ‘ Philosophical Magazine,’ August, 1859, p. 108. 
