The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1871-09-28
THE CHEMISTS STORY.
By DIR. ROSS WILSON.

] am u chemist. Many doubtless
would find it difficult to define wha
the duties OF q chemist are, if asked
To such say, u chemist is collector
of facts. 1t is the business of his life tt
aid in nnmasking for the worlds ben
eft, the good and evil lowering ever
In the air we breathe, burrowing in the
earth we tread mingling with the
food we eat, ami swimming in what
we drink.
Then again, the law waits on the
chemist. a human being has passeu
suddenly away The chemist exam
ines the body OF the supposed victim.
The law listens hat in hand to science.
The Inspected party trembles in antic-
ipatio,,. The oracular lips of the
chemist move; he names out one Of a
fearful list ofpoisons. 1t is eithers strych-
nine, prulssiC acid, or that deadly oil
bitter almonds. The law then puts on
It's hat. takes the decision into court,
and hangs the prisoner.
In short, the chemist must know
the why's and wherefOrcs Of everything
in the phenomena of life, as far as
feeble man can know. The compost
ton Of the ocean lie must be familiar
with; he must be able to name the
gases OF the air, and capable of re-
solving tho human body itself into
visible vapors. lam the occupant of
this responsible and important posi-
ton in the Medical College of P.
1t was about eleven o'clock on a
stormy evening that l babe a good
night to my student, Tom Richard, at
the door ofmy laboratory, at the south
end Of the college building,
Goodnight, Profcssor,n said Tom;
tive are going to have fall Of hydro
gen, oxygen, and n trace of saline"
Hydrogen and oXygen-in our no.
menclature, II. o. is water.
II hope" said, in answer to Toms
playful words, that 1t will not rain
before get home"
80 no; it won't for an hour yet"
said Tom.
"Then," l said with sigh, noticing
that the mercury in my barometer was
falling, a sign Of n violent storm, /
shall certainly get wet"
Tom was very anxious to know
what would keep me up after twelve
o'clock so told him | was about to
commence analyzing the stomach Of a
Mrs. Johnson, whose husband now
layin p Jail, just across the road from
the college, ON suspicion that he was
the murderer. Tom said had worked
hard enough that day and deserved
the night to myself. lie spoke the
truth. Still | had delayed examining
the woman's stomach SO long; and the
trial was so near at hand, that l could
not in conscience put of the exami-
nation farther; although l had heard
several classes recite at the different
public schools in the morning, had de-
livered lecture in the college proper
In the afternoon, and one in the labOra-
tory that evening, besides 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
turned, bidding me good night; Ee
brushed against man standing with
his back to the college and his face to-
ward the prison. The street lamp
showed me that the man was clad in
the police uniform.
Re-enteriDg my laboratory, | took
down u glass jar from q shelf, and sat
down before my sink to examine it,.
The Jar, which contained Mrs. John
sons stomach, was covered by u
cloth, duly tied with strings, and
properly sealed with my official seal
In red wax. Breaking through the
cloth and seal, / lifted the stomach out
with dissectiDg hook and laid il on
the white platter before me; then be-
came busily engaged in applying those
tests to its contents by which we de-
tect the presence Of injurious sub
stances.
An hour hnd passed since the depart
ure Of young Richards. had care
fully emptied the contents OF the
stomach into q number Of bowls and
basins. had labored hard to discover
traces of poison In all this, but had
been unsuccessful. Joe johnson, the
suspected man, hal been n student Of
mine u few years before. l thought
him good-hea-ted, intelligent fellow,
only a little wild, ard really began
to hope that he might Prove innocent;
when among the macerated food,
came upon a small, inGnitessimal
white grain. BY careful manipulation
aud the use of the magnifyinb glass !
managed to get this upon a piece OF
smoked glass, and examined it.
was then certain that bad dis
covered arsnic; but TO make assurance
doubly sure, i determined TO apply a
well known test for that poison. Ac'
cordingly l placed In the woman's
stomach the usual acids, aud then
turned on the blow-pipc flame, and
presently there appeared that brilliant
metallic mark worthy of Gains brow,
which is the sign and signet Of the
Poison Fend.
ia \ 4. - L..