318 
GLEANINGS — T0XIC0L0G1 CAL. 
suicide  by  taking  in  each  case  about  half  an  ounce  of  oil  of 
bitter  almonds  have  occurred  in  England.  No  mitigation  of 
the  symptoms  resulted  from  treatment. 
Poisoning  by  Belladonna. — A  Frenchman,  aged  35  years, 
took,  with  suicidal  intent,  a  small  lump  of  Menier's  extract  of 
belladonna.  In  an  hour  his  courage  failed,  a  physician  was  sent 
for  who  found  him  powerless,  pupils  dilated,  extremities  clam- 
my and  ice  cold,  pulse  slow  and  full,  face  colorless,  with  indica- 
tions of  great  fear.  His  feet  and  legs  were  put  in  a  strong 
mustard  bath,  and  ten  grains  of  sulphate  of  zinc  given  in  warm 
water  every  minute,  until  four  doses  had  been  taken  without 
effect,  when  emesis  was  produced  by  a  teaspoonful  of  mustard 
in  a  tumbler  of  water.    He  slowly  recovered.— Pharm.  Joum. 
Poisoning  by  Prussia  Acid. — On  Thursday,  Dec.  30,  an  in- 
quest was  held  over  the  body  of  Wm.  Marcooly,  who  came  to 
his  death  suddenly  on  the  27th  by  taking  what  had  been  sold 
as  castor  oil.  On  investigating  the  occurrence  it  appeared  that 
the  assistant  of  Mr.  Budd  the  chemist,  was  engaged  putting  up 
a  prescription  for  a  lotion  containing  a  drachm  of  Scheele's 
prussic  acid  at  the  time  the  oil  was  called  for,  and  by  some 
singular  aberration  the  poison  was  put  in  the  oil  instead  of  the 
lotion,  and  thus  caused  the  death  of  Macrooly.  Mr.  Justice 
Wightman  in  summing  up  said,  that  to  justify  a  verdict  of 
manslaughter  it  must  be  clearly  made  out  that  the  act  was  not 
a  mere  mistake,  such  as  every  one  was  liable  to,  but  that  it  was 
the  result  of  some  gross  negligence  on  the  part  of  the  accused 
person.  After  an  hour's  absence,  the  jury  returned  a  verdict 
of  "  not  guilty"  with  an  expression  of  reprobation  of  the  careless 
manner  in  which  poisons  were  generally  dispensed. — Ibid. 
March,  1857. 
Suicide  by  Strychnia. — William  Gummow,  of  Newport,  (Eng.) 
sent  his  servant  to  a  druggist  for  arsenic  to  kill  rats.  The  drug- 
gist, who  gave  the  messenger  three  grains  of  strychnia  instead  of 
arsenic,  said  on  his  examination,  "  I  have  sold  the  same  for 
killing  rats  for  four  or  five  years  to  many  persons  ;  I  write  the 
word  poison  on  my  packages  and  have  not  a  printed  label." 
The  deceased  took  the  whole  of  the  strychnia,  and  despite  the 
medical  treatment  died  after  several  hours  of  distressing  spas- 
modic suffering. — Times,  Feb.  18,  1857. 
