The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-13 00:00:00

is highlyra-olatile, and of peculiar odour. Whilat it is vole-
tising, s strong odour perceptible to any one is emitted. The
contents of Sarah Hart's stomach were exposed to a boiling
heat of 212 tbr several minutes. During that time we all
tried to catch the odour, without discovering it: I don't
know that I ever saw prussic acid distilled before. There
was no odour from the few drops of blood I drew from the
deceased. I don't feel competent to say that epileptic
patients would be more easily acted on by prussic acid than
°theta not so afflicted. The case to which I have alluded, in
which 7-10ths of a grain was fatal in Paris, was that of seven
ep?lAptic patients, to whom by mistake a dose containing
7sNidis of a grain was administered to each, and they all
died, same within a few minutes, others after three-quarters
of an hour.
(A debate here arose as to this case, it being reported dif-
ferently in different books. Mr. Baron Parke referred to
the original book, in which it was foUnd that one died within
15 minutes, and the mgt at different periods to the last, who
lived three-quarters of an hour.)
Cross-examination resumed—The odour was, iu some
cases, found eight days after death. After the froth had
subsided from the porter I poured on the drachm of acid,
I perceived the smell. strongly. Hydrocyanic acid exists
in many substance—in apples, and many fruits, for in-
stance. I agree with Christison, who says, at page 756,
that hydrocyanic acid is formed in numerous substances,
where it was not previously supposed to exist. The prussic
bins of commerce is obtained from the blood and horns of
a-aitnals. The chief components of prussic acid are 62.12
(lithos], 12 of nitrogen. and lof hydrogen. It is said to exist
in the human saliva; but not as pussic acid. It is called the
salph. cyanide. It exists as hydrocyanic in cherry stones
and other fruit kernels. There was no smell at all during
the tests of the deceased's stomach for the other poisons, and
we then came to the conclusion that there must be prussic
acid. The process through which the stomach and contents
were then put would produce prussic acid from apple pips or
other fruit kernels. When we obtained the prussic acid it
had no smell. Down to the last experiment, in which we
obtained a certain large quantity of prussic acid, I perceived
no smell at all, afttr the first odour I perceived on opening
the both-. We did not burn any of the substances produced.
By Mr. Baron PARKE—We did not try to burn the cyanide
of silver.
Cross-examination continued—The first thing I did when
called in to Sarah Hart was to feel her pulse. I thought at
first I perceived a slight pulsation—a throb or two ; but
now I imagine I did not feel any. When I put my hand
upon the region of the heart there was no pulsation at all.
1 felt satisfied the deceased was dead when I tried to bled
her. I thought it better to do so, as one of the usual means,
merely in order to leave no means untried, as in cases of con-
gestion of the head.
Mr. KELLY—DO you mean to say that you did not open
the vein for the purpose of ascertaining the cause of death?
Witness—l may have tried to see whether the blood con-
tained anything to account for death, and I wished to satisfy
the persons present that nothing was left undone. I took
oat the contents of the stomach eighteen hours after death.
The vessel into which I put them was perfectly clean. It
was a broad mouthed pickle bottle. I did not wash it out,
but I held it up, and looked through it, and saw it was clean
and quite cleat That is the bottle (produced).
The witness was re-examined by Mr. Sergeant BYLES, at
very considerable length, upon the subject of the qualities,
&c., of prussic acid, and with regard to the cases of the seven
epileptic patients in Paris.
The Court adjourned at seven o'clock, till Thursday (this
morning), at nine.