414 
ON  ARSENICAL  POISONING. 
then  from  successive  portions  of  the  bowels,  was  analyzed,  and 
in  each  case  exhibited  the  presence  of  arsenic. 
The  material  of  the  stomach  itself  was  next  examined,  and 
likewise  found  to  contain  arsenic.  The  bowels  were  then  divided 
into  five  equal  lengths,  and  each  subjected  to  the  proper  tests, 
and  with  the  same  results. 
The  presence  of  the  arsenic  in  all  of  these  experiments  was 
not  only  unmistakable,  but  very  decided  in  amount.  How  much 
the  patient  had  swallowed,  even  presuming  that  it  had  been  given 
with  intent  to  poison,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to  determine 
by  the  most  careful  quantitative  examination,  since  copious  vomit- 
ing and  purging  had  prevailed  during  several  days,  and  up  to  a 
short  period  before  death,  so  that  the  stomach  and  bowels  were 
almost  completely  emptied  of  their  previous  contents. 
The  presence  of  the  arsenic  in  the  substance  of  the  tissues  ex- 
amined naturally  induced  the  presumption  that  it  existed  in  the 
liver,  lungs,  and  other  portions  of  the  body  of  the  deceased.  He 
regretted  that  he  had  not  had  the  opportunity  to  ascertain  the 
fact,  as  nothing  had  been  preserved  and  sent  to  him  except  the 
parts  referred  to,  nor  were  these  in  a  condition  to  enable  him  to 
recognize  either  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  physical  signs  of 
irritation  or  inflammation,  such  as  might  have  been  expected  in 
a  case  of  arsenical  poisoning. 
Hence,  in  the  absence  of  any  proof  of  an  absolute  amount  of 
arsenic  adequate  to  destroy  life,  the  mere  fact  of  the  discovery 
of  a  poisonous  adulteration  of  the  medicine  administered  was  con- 
sidered sufficient  to  invalidate  the  evidence  against  the  prisoner, 
and  to  justify  her  immediate  acquittal. 
During  the  early  days  of  the  trial,  nothing  occurred  to  indi- 
cate that  arsenic  had  been  administered  as  an  adulterating  sub- 
stance of  the  medicine  directed  by  the  prescribing  physician.  At 
a  later  period,  the  court  called  for  a  copy  of  the  prescriptions 
which  had  been  ordered  by  the  physician,  and  subnitrate  of  bis- 
muth appearing  as  one  of  them,  Dr.  Rogers  directed  his  efforts 
to  determine  how  far  that  substance  was  pure. 
He  was  unable  to  procure  a  specimen  of  the  identical  subni- 
trate which  had  been  administered,  not  succeeding  in  finding  the 
druggist  who  had  sold  it,  but  obtained  a  number  of  samples  from 
