Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-02
A CHEMISTS STORY.
BIZ DIR. ROSS WILSON.

lector OF facts. II is the business Of his life to
aid IN unmasking, for the worlds benefit, the
good and evil lowering even In the air we breathe,
burrOwing in the earth We tread, mnglinx with
the food We eat, and swimming in what we
drink.
Then again, the law waits on the chemist.
human being has passed suddenly away. Soms-
body thinks there has been foul play. The
chemist examines the body Of the SUPPOSED VIC
tim. The law listens, hat in hand, ID science.
The Oracular lips OF the chemist moves; henames
cut one Of the fearful lists of poisons. 1t is
,trychnine, prussic acid, or that deadly oil OF
bitter almonds. The law then pats on its hat,
takes the decision into court, and hangs the Pris
sner.
In short, the chemist must know the why and
wherefores OF everything In the phenomena OF
life, a. far as feeble man can know. The com
position 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 into
invisible yapOrs. i am the occupant OF this re-
sPonsible and important position in the Medical
College of P.
IL was about eleven O'Clock on a stormy even
ing that babe good night TO my student, Tom
Richards, at the door OF my laboratory, at the
south end Of the college building.
going TO have fall OF hydrogen, oxygen and a
trace OF saline"
Hydrogen and oxygen-in our nomenclature,
al hope, /" I said, in answer TO Toms playful
words, ''that il will not rain before get home"
"Oh, no; IL won't Tor an hour yet" said Tom
"Then," j said, with a sigh. noticing that the
mercury in my barometer was rapidly falling, a
sign Of a violent storm, 81 shall certainly get
wet"
Tom was very anxious to know what would
keep me after twelve O'Clock; 80 / told him
was about to commence analyZing the stOm ach
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 that had worked hard enough that day,
and deserved the night TO myself. He spoke the
truth. Stn, j had delayed examining the
vOman's stomach 80 long, and the trial 50 near
At hand, that could not in conscience put OFF
.ns ea Tee At the hsa.e
in the morning, had delivered a lecture in tae
college proper that afternoon, and one In the
laboratory that evening, besides attending to
my several duties a. police surgeon during the
day.
A. Tom was passing out Of the college yard,
through the gate, his head turned, bidling me
good night, he brushed against a 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, i took down a
glass jar from the shelf, and sat down before my
sink to examine It. The jar, which contained
duly covered with strings, and properly sealed
with my official seal in red wax. Breaking
through the cloth and seal, / lifted the stomach
out with a dissecting-hook and laid il on the
white plaster before me; then became busiIy en-
gagged in applying the tests to it, contents by
which We detected the presence of injurious sub
stances.
An hour had passed since the departure OF
young Richards. had labored hard 70 discover
traces Of poison in all this, but had been uusuc-
eessful Joe johnson, the suspected man, had
been a student of mine a few years before. had
thought him q ood-hearted, intelligent fellow
only little wild, and really began TO hope that
he might prove innocent; when am ny the m lc-
Grated food came upon a snail, infnitesma
white grain By careful manipulation and the
this upon a piece OF smoked glass, and examined
IT.
i was then certain had discovered arsenic;
but 10 make assurance doubly sure, deter
mined to apply a we'll known test 20 that poison
Accordingly i placed IN the woman's stomach
the usual acids, and then Turned on the blow
pipe fame, and presently there appeared tia
brilliant metallic mark, worthy Of Cams brow
which Il the sign and signet Of the Poison Fiend
Yes" exclaimed, As saw the fatal blazon
Joe johnson Is tie murderer of his wife With
the evidence of that mark 70 back me no power
on earth can save him from the rope"
- Do you really think so?' said a calm, squeak
I turned quickly aud discovered tall, slim
policeman, having red, weak and watery eyes.
standing at my ONCE door and staring in. His
body looked as II II had been rolled out long be-
tween his hands like q nOlaSses candy stick. His
nose was merely an elOngsted, fleshy plug, and
his forehead was decorated with two red streaks
instead Of eyebrows He had no expression at
all IN his face, and his pOliceman's hat was 40
large that 1t threatened 70 settle down on his
shoulders.
His Uniform treasured me, and addressed him
with some impotence
"My friend, 1 suppose am wanted to attend
an in9aest-or what Is your purpose r'
Anything in the surgical WAY p
Twas police surgeon as well as coroner.
Mo-
wen. then, why am sent for al this time of
sDonr bother, Profes sor; the man amt dead
yet; but they say he will before morning
- Are doctors attending hiE1?"
'Oh, he's in good hands, Professor"
- hats the matter with him.
well" said the oficial, ''some folks say he
has got 100 much knowledge into lin, that be
cant live under it,"
- Cerebral disorder, eh2' --.-.-a.----.---a-
- What" asked the man. 80.
- Brain disorder. 4 mean; SOM sthsns wrong
here"
touched NV forehead, aud 50 did he, a be
said
Ave. and / thought III drop in and tell YOU
II you vas going 70 the statiOutO morrow 20 take
look and see II its past HsVTfsa or not Besides,
wanted 20 see where could always fB1 you in
bowed aud attributed ais visit % a feeling of
curiosity. He sat ON tie sink, one rubbered loot
thrown over the other, and wiped his nose with
eyes wandered like Christopher Columbus after
discoveries. Finally he spoke, ike one who
thought himself called upon to say something:
a. PrOfeSsOT, there has been an accident tbs
Afternoon; terrible, toe"
.'Ah - said 1.
Awful" said he.
"What was II -
"Nitro-glycerine explosion up I'm the iron
miIls-a hundred fellow Eoortals busted"
ss Sad 4"
Affecting, yery.D Here he rubbed his mouth
with the back OF his hand - Professor, wha. is
that nitro glycerine made or 900 ~
&" IL j. a very dangerous article" I answered,
happy 70 display my knowledge. {" It a. nearly
twice the destructiveness OF gunpowder, bat,
unlike il. does act explode on the application OF
heat A red hot coal dropped into il will not ex-
piOdeit. 10 will freeze: " i yellow aud greasy
Its symbols IL our nomenclature are C., H5, No.
81 5. O6"
You don't mean TO say 80 ?" said the ofzeer,
interruTting me, in diszgreeable tones, in the
very middle OF a choice extract frsm one Of nv
lectures. "why, but you hadn't told rae how
u does go OF. II fire don't bust it, what in
hem-wiilT 90
:. told him If il we're pressed, or anything fell
On il. n would explode
Place az under the crusher Of q cider min,
strike IL with hammer, let a weight fslf on II
from a height -
"Yes," said nay man, and that roasss Tie
voleaner, docs IL? How does IL come Profes-
scr 2"
In little eans-why, Ike these :" said I. dis
covering that there was little can Of it ON the
marble sink, which 1 had cArelessly neglected.
TO replace in the cellar. then took little az
the giyceTine. spread IL ON anvil and struck
IL with hammer. A slight explosion and a
Fame burst from the paper. 80.
Now. really" saws the policeman, starting
baek RrofeS<or IN fh1re .