The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-12-31

20 use the best methods known and which are not
liable TO error; and In case OF metallic posons 10
produce the metal. and to produce the metal In
such quantity that by a subsequent investigation
OF that metal no doubt at all can be left as TO It's
nature.
Mr. STEELE here read from the nERALp's report
OF the 18th OF December the CHARACTERISTIC results
nina when he went TO look for antimony In part OF
the contents OF the stomach. and asked the wit.
tests used by him were suficienL
WlTNKss-Tney were by no means sumcient tests
ns Sdsr M swe
the metal and then make the tests TO verify the
metal; there are about dozen different methods
OF testing It; the quantity OF the metal obtained Is
sufficedtly large to use all the tests all the tests
should be used; II the quantity is not large 1t
tests after the metal has been produced.
Mr.. STEELE-Dr. Aiken, in his REL ort, in speaking
OF the copper test, says the result was an amor
pnous while powder. Was TINS Indicative or the
presence Of antlmonyf
wITNEss-This test would have given, II antimony
had been present, crystalline powder,
needle-like substance. In the tube:
the crystals would have been very minute, Of
the tube; have tried 1t and have seen 1t myself,
from some experiments which we lately made with
tartar emetic IN Philadelphia; the prlsmatic form
was very distinctly recognized; tried that expert
ment on antimony which was coaung copper; the
form Is positive and important distinction upon
this subject; would refer you TO Millers Chemistry
work. There are other works which state that the
OXIDE OF antimony Is crystalline substance. ber-
orms N neees p AIKEN aave two s9
which he used 10 test the purity OF his acid; at
first he stated he poured sulphide OF ammonium
in, and that this method dd not show MIN the
presence OF impurities; he afterwards stated In the
cross examination II l am not mistaken, that he
tested II with Marsh's apparatus, and when asked
with reference TO what sulphide OF ammonium would
do when poured into an acid, he stated that white
preclpltate would be thrown down; ne remarked
that concentrated snlphuric acid would decomposc
1t and precipltate sulphuret but that diluted
sulphuric acid would not do IT, this Is o statement
tested his acid sufficiently to remove impurities,
besides 1t has been proven 10 the jury that ne did
The Attorney General here interrupted the wit
ness and the Court told him he must moi say what
had or mad not been proved. He then resumed -
DR.. Aiken said ne did not know when he had
tested his acids; he certainly did not test them for
circumstances; certainly hydrocharc acid Is liable
TO have impurities IN 1t, and 1t Is very difficult
trying experiments with reference to this case in
Pmladelphla, and when l tested the hydro.
pure from one OF the best manufacturers. found.
TO my very great SURPRISE that 1T gave dark coat
ing on "copper" which proved the presence OF anti.
mony or arsenic. (Ghe Doctor here handed bottle
to the jury containing the results OF his test and 1t
was examined by the jury the counsel ana the Court
II contained number OF pieces OF copper, which
had been turned very DARK by deposit on them.)
immediately sent to the best house that deals IN
pure chemicals and got another sample; on testing
That found that 1t contained arsenic antimony;
at last succeeded In obtaining pure specimen;
last winter l had a number OF students IN my
laboratory 10 teach them ANALYTICAL chemistry: I
gave them samples to md out what they were com.
posed o., and they invariably reported anthony
The Attorney General objected 10 this as not being
evidence. The witness then resumed
saw 1t myself we went on for some time; could
not believe that there was antmOny in that acid
until a personal examination proved It TO me; The
acid speak OF was hyorochloric acid; hydrochlo-
ric acid frequently contained anthony and arsenic
and they very difficult to separate IL; this
happens because the cnlorides are volatile SUB
stances and in the distilatlon carried over: II
arsenic was in the tube when sublimated It would
be IN the form OF octahedrlc crystals. In reference
to the experiment tried by Dr. Aiken by eyaporat,
lumber necs and solution OF tartar emenS on
both the solutions used by him had been antlmOny
in the form OF tartar emetic the crystals wouu nave
been OF the same form, with slight modincatIons
III both cases, or they could not have been tartar
emetc; that is impossible; II the crystals were not
Of the same form one OF them could not have been
tartar emetic; by form mean crystalline structure;
as TO the analysis Of the sediment in the lumber
made by DR.. Aiken, 1t does not prove that 1t con-
nr ens saso ., al tn my aeard
amount OF tartar emetlc in the stomach; it was
quite new moae OF asceffan mi quantity bu,
1t is SO full OF inaccuracies that 1t
is quite an lmpossibnty to get anything at all out
his statement OF the mode pursued In obtaining
spots; saw the spots he got; have made an esti-
mate OF the amount OF metal in each; sucn eX-
pertinent cannot be made accurately; followed
him as closely as possible, and obtained an approx
pure zinc, with suphurlc acid and water; after had
satisfied myself by testing the purity OF that hydro
i
added solution Of tartar emetic containing the If
teth part OF gram; produced about one hun
ared and twenty spots sept the lids
Ghe Doctor here showed the lids with the
spots on them. OF which there, were sew
iesor Toney, only more than double the size,
TO the jury. and said, II my eye Is correct.
much antimony as the spots which Professor roney
exhiplted); now, If get 10 spots from one-h1ielh
IS onesx one a%s
of the spots OF MIR. Toney would contain
from one twelve ,1oasana.n to one twenty:
and would represent that part OF grain OF tar ar
emetic; 1t is quite Impossible to manipulate with
such minute quantities. do not believe you can
dissolve one OF those spots in sulphide OF am
monium and get an orange red:color; have tried
Doctor here showed lid TO the jury. You can
Judge for yourselves whether you see any orange
which is undoubtedly principally sulphur; the oh.
ject IN Marsn's test Is to get enough Of the suD
stance 70 subject 20 odeG .est the quantity Is
what is the nature OF the black spot.
Mr.. steele having asked the witness ques..
ton about the application OF suphide OF
spos as oney w sne
insufficient to make any reliable tests at ALL either
the sulphlde OF ammonium test or the nitric acid
test; heard what he said as to ms experiment with
the Diowpipe; If any antimony had been present.
even II not enough to give him the metal, II would
looking upon such mass with the" the mcroseone =
not method chemists use; they would cut out the
portion fused and mash 1t fine In agate mortar,
and wash OF the fine particles and the metal re-
mains In the bottom. II there Is any; Professor
Toney spoke OF his having let the gas 60 through
nitrate Of silver after the suspected solution mad
been put In the generalizing mask. and that he
got dark color In the evening, and In the morning
there was brown preciptate; nothing else has
been done with that, therefore that experiment
amounts TO nothing; even disregardIng the
organic matter In the precipitate obtained
by him from the acid solution no analytical
chemist would form an opinion as to the
quantity OF antimoDy In such a precipitate; 1t
Is laid down in all the books on analytical
chemistry, and even general chemistry when speak
OF 1t, that tis antimonla preciptate must frst be
freed or purified from the Tree sulphur which 1t al
ways contains. Mr.. TOncy remarked that this pre-
cpitate dd not contain any free sulphur, because he
washed the sulphuretted hydrogen. Now, he ex-
posed his sulphuretted hydrogen preciptate from
wednesday night TO Friday morning, and every
chemist knows that you cannot expose solution OF
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