South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-10-06
The Chemists story.
BY DR.. ROSS WILSON.

find it difficult to define what the duties of
/ chemist are, if asked. To such | say, q
chemist is a collector of facts, 1t is the
business of his life TO aid in unmasking for
the worlds benefit, the good and evil how
ering even in the air we breathe, burrow.
ing in the ground we tread, mingling with
the food we eat, and swimming in what we
drink.
Then again, the law waits on the chem
list. A human being has passed suddenly
away. Somebody thinks there has been
foul play.-The chemist examines the BODY
of the supposed victim The law listens
hat in hand to sciepce.-The suspected par
! ty trembles in anticipation. The oracular
lips of the chemist move; lie names one
out Of the fearful list Of poisons. 1t is ell
Their strychnine, prussic acid, or that dead
| ly oil of bitter almonds. The law then
puts on its hat, takes the decision into court,
and hangs the prisoner.
In short the chemist must know the
why's and wherefores of everything in the
phenomena of life, as far as feeble man can
know. The composition of the ocean he
must be familiar with; he must be able to
name the gases of the air, and capable of
resolving the human body itself into iuvis-
IDLE vapors.-I am the occupant of this re-
sponsible land important position in the
Medical College of P.
Ii was eleven o'clock on a stormy eve
ming that babe good night to my student,
Tom Richards, at the door of my laborato-
ny, at the south end of the college building.
Good night, Professor said Tom we
are going to have fall of hydrogen, oxy-
gen. and trace of saline
Hydrogen aud oxygen-in our uomencla-
ture III. O.-is water.
Il hope | said, 10 answer to Toms play.
ful words, that it will not rain before get
home
20 no; it won't for an hour yet, said
Tom.
Then, said, with sigh, noticing that the
mercury in my barometer was rapidly fall
ing. sign of violent storm, Il shall Ger
tainly get wet
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after twelve o'clock so
j told him | was about to commence analy-
zing the stomach of Mrs johnson, whose
husband now lay in p. Jail, just across the
road from the college, on suspicion that he
was the murderer. Tom said had work
ed hard enough that day, and deserved the
night to myself. He spoke the truth.
Still, | had delayed examining the woman's
stomach so long, and the trial was so near
at hand, that ! could not in conscience
put off the examination further, although
| had heard several classes recite at the diff
! ferent public schools in the morning, had
delivered a lecture in the college proper
that afternoon, and one in the laboratory
that evening, besides attending to my sew
eral duties as police surgeon during the day
As Tom was passing out of the college
yard through the gate, his head turned,
bidding me good night; be brushed against
man standing with his back to the college
and his face toward the prison The
street lamp showed me that the man was
clad in the police uniform.
Re-entering my laboratory, took down
a glass jar from shelf, and sat down be-
fore my sink TO examine it. The jar which
contained Mrs. Johnson's stomach, was COW
cred by cloth, duly tied with strings and
properly sealed with my official seal 10 red
wax breaking through the cloth and seal,
lifted the stomach out with dissecting
hook and laid it on a white platter before
me, then became busily engaged in apply
ing those tests 10 its contents by which
we detect the presence of injurious sub
stances
An hour had passed since tho departure
OF young Richards. had carefully emptied
the contents Of the stomach into a number Of
bowls and basins. had laborod hard to
discover traces Of poison in oil this, but
f,1 II Al
suspected man, bad been student OF mine
a lew years before. thought him a good
hearted, intelligent fellow, only a little
Wiz, aud really began 70 hope that he might
prove innocent; when among the macerated
IoodJ came upon a small infnitesimal
Wh'te grain. BY careful manipulation and
Ioe use Of my magnifying glass I managed
10 get this upon a piece Of smoked glass,
and examined il.
IL was then certain that had discovered
arsenic; but TO make assurance doubly sure,
determined to apply a we'll known test
Tor that poison. Accordingly I placed in
the woman's stomach the usual acids, and
'nen turned on the blow-pipe fame, and
presently there appeared that brilliant me-
iaiic mark, worthy Of Gains brow, which
t9o sign and signet Of the Poison Fiend
1es,' | exclaimed, as / saw that fatal
DiazoE, Joe johnson Is the murderer Of
nis Wiie . With tho evidence Of that mark
20 back me, no power can save him from
the rope
DO you really think so p said a calm,
squeaking voice behind me.
l turned quickly and discovered a tail,
INN policeman, having red weak and wat
e.y eyes, standing al fnv sGes door and