LEAD. 
§ 820.] 
lead-poisoning ; and the verdict returned by the jury was to the effect 
that the deceased died from granular kidney, accelerated by lead¬ 
poisoning. 
The usual test in the absence of iron for lead in drinking-waters 
is to add to 50 c.c., in a Nessler cylinder, ammonium sulphide: a black 
colour or precipitate, not discharged or dissolved by hydrochloric acid 
or by potassic cyanide, is an indication of the presence of lead. 
The lead may be estimated colorimetrically by imitating the dark 
colour produced in a known solution of lead acetate by ammonium 
sulphide. Those who have to make many estimations of minute quan¬ 
tities of lead colorimetrically will find it useful to prepare permanent 
standards of colour after the method of Vernon Harcourt ( Journ . Chem. 
Soc., T., 1910, i. 841). In important researches it may be advisable to 
estimate the lead by weight ; in this case a sufficient amount of the water 
is concentrated down, ammonium sulphide added, and the precipitate 
of lead sulphide collected and washed ; after standing many hours, the 
sulphide is either weighed as sulphide, or treated by the electrolytic 
process to be described. 
Berntrop 1 finds lead phosphate absolutely insoluble in water con¬ 
taining free sodic phosphate. He therefore examines waters by adding, 
if necessary, calcium chloride and excess of sodium phosphate. The 
precipitate which forms during twenty-four hours is said to contain all 
the lead as phosphate ; it is collected and dissolved in dilute nitric acid, 
and identified by the usual tests. 
§ 820. The Plumstead Murder Case. —Murder by the administra¬ 
tion of doses of sugar of lead is rare, but such a case has occurred. At 
the Central Criminal Court, in December 1882, Louisa Jane Taylor 
was indicted for poisoning Mary Ann Tregillis at Plumstead, and con¬ 
victed. From the evidence it appeared that the prisoner, who was 
36 years of age, came to reside with Mr and Mrs Tregillis, an aged 
couple of 85 and 81 years respectively. The prisoner was proved 
to have purchased at different times an ounce and half an ounce of 
sugar of lead, and to have added a white powder to the medicine 
of Mrs Tregillis. The illness of the latter extended from about 
August 23 to October 23—a period of two months. It is difficult 
to say when the first dose could have been given, but it was probably 
some time between August 13 and 23, while the administration, without 
doubt, ceased on or before October 6, for on that date different nursing 
arrangements were made. The symptoms observed were nausea, vomit¬ 
ing, pain in the pit of the stomach, burning in the throat, very dark 
teeth, a blue line round the gums, and slight jaundice. There was 
great muscular weakness, with trembling of the hands, and a week 
before death there was paralysis of the right side. 
1 Chem. Zeit., 1896, p. 1020. 
