The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-11-25
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A CHEMISTS STORY.

AN n chemist. Many, doubtless,
would fud it difficult to define what the
duties of chemist are if asked. To
such | say, chemist is collector OF
facts. Ii is the business of his life to
aid in unmaskirg, for the worlds benefit,
the good and evil lowering even in the
mir we breathe, burrowing in the earth
we tread, minglng with the food we eat
aud swimming in what we drink.
Then again, the law wai.s on the
chemist, A human being has passed
away. Somebody thinks there has been
foul play. The chemist examines the
body Of the supposed victim. The law
listens, hat 10 hand, TO science. The
suspected party tremblcs in anticipation.
The oracular lips of the chemist move.
lie names one out Of fearful list of
poiSons. 1t is either strychnine, prus
sic acid, or thut deadly oil Of bitter al
mopds. Tho law then puts On its hat,
takes the decision into court, hangs the
prisoner.
10 short the chemist must know the
ways and wherefore of everything in the
phenomena oil lrle as far as feeble men
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 revolving the human
body itself into invisible vapors | am
the occupant Of this responsible and
important position in the Medical Col
lege OF p.
1t was about eleven o'clock on stor
my evening that 1 bade good night to
my student, Tom Richards, ut the
door OF my laboratory, at the south end
Of the college building.
GOOD night, Professor" said Tom !;
1--WE are going to have fall of hydro
gen, oxygen, and trace OF saline"
Hydrogen and oxygen - in our
nomevclature, IL. O--is water.
." hope" 1 said, in answer to Toms
playial words, that il will not rain be
tore get home.
80 no, it won't for an hour YET" !"
said Tom.
Then" said with sigh, noticing
that the mercury in my barometer was
rapidly falling, a sigu OF u violent storm,
q" shall certainly get wet"
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after twelve o'clock ;
80 | told him was about to commence
analyziug the stomach of Mrs. John
soa, whose husband now lay in P
Jail, just across the road from the col.
lege, on suspicion that he was the muir
-deres, Tom said l had worked hard
enough that day, and deserved the night
20 myself. He spoke the truth Still,
had delayed examining the woman s
stomach 50 long, and the trial was SO
near at hand, that could not in cou.
science put of the examination farther.
Although had heard several classes
recite at the different public schools in
the morning, had delivered lecture in
the college proper that afternoon, aud
one in tho laboratory that evening, be
sides attending to my several duties as
police surgeon during the day.
AS Tom was passing out of the col
lege yard, through the gate, his head
aurned bidding mo good night, be brush
ed 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 1 took q
glass jar down from shelf and sat dow
before my sink to examine il. The jar
which contained Mrs Johnson's stom
ach, was covered by a cloth, duly tied
with strings, and properly sealed, | lift
ed the stomach out with dissecting
hook and laid it on white platter be
fore me then became busily engaged
lin applying those tests to its contents
by which we detect the presence Of 10
furious substances.
An hour had passed since the depar.
.,ure Of young Richards. had carefully
'smptied the, contents Of the stomach 10
to a number Of bowls and basins. i
had labored hard TO discover traces Of
poison in all this. but had beon unsuc-
cessful. Jco johnson, the suspected