The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-01
SCIENCE AND S7OHACnS.
The Wharton Trial as Seen Through
Professional SpectacleS.
Opinions Of metropolitan Chemists on the
Maryland Professors.
Aiken's and Tonry's Analyses Of General Ketch-
um's Stomach Disgrace to American Science
What Professors Draper and Doremus Have
to say-The stephens Trial and How
the Poison Was Discovered in the
Body Of the Murdered Woman.

to say-The Stephens Trial and How
the Poison Was Discovered in the
Body Of the Murdered Woman.
The very extraordinary and interesting trial for
murder by poison now In progress at Annapolis
Nd, curious as 1t Is In many aspects, is Of much
importance to medical men, and particularly to
those who have made the study Of chemistry
speciality. That doctors should taisagrec, and
patients die in consequence is not considered even
at this END OF the enlightened nineteenth century,
q matter for special wonder; but that professional
men, claiming to have special knowledge Of the
properties OF poisonous metals and poisonous sub
stances not metals, should manifest so much igno.
rance as was shown 10 the Wharton trial. seems
perfectly amazing TO ordinary people, And 1t is
more wonderful when we reflect that on the evil.
dence OF such chemists an accused person may be
consigned to mfamy or the gallows or the law
robbed OF It's vengeance. Therefore the conflict Of
scientific opinion in the wharton trial excites
extraordinary interest and attention.
With the view OF ascertaining the opinions Of
some Of our eminent metropolitan chemists as. to
the proper manner Of making :.:.,s =. ~ -
An ANALYSIS Or HUMAN REMAINS
suspected OF being impregnated with poison
o reporter OF the HERALD was despatched on
an Interviewing" tour He 1rst tired to find
Professor John W. Draper, President OF the Medical
University, but that gentleman was out Of town.
He then visited the house OF Professor John @.
Draper In Lexi lgtOn avenue. The Professor was at
home ana invited the reporter into his office. In
answer to question he said that he had read some
OF the evidence In the Wharton trial published in
the HERALD but that be did not to express any
opinion upon It.
..But" queried the reporter. .'dont you think the
ov1 nj Ardt
nary, to say the leastf"
II have somewhat similar casa on hand now,
and, judging from my own experiments must say
that consider the analyses OF Professors Tonry
ana Aiken quite inadequate In o case Of life and
DEATH"
''What Is your estimate OF the value OF Professor
McCullocn's evidences ?"
II agree with Professor McCulloch for the most
part, though 1t seems to me he never sawzinc
ut u pure state filled with anthony and arsenic.
Az for Professor Aiken, consider his
TESTS UTTERLY WORTHLESS"
General Ketchum being dOsed with chloral and
essamine might, from the chemical action Of the
the tests applied by Professor Aiken
existence Of tartaric emetc in the stomach, ana
whether hydrochloric acid, used as test is ordi-
antimony or arsenic to require special analysis
Itself before being used Tor that purpose; but the
frOleSSOI cOnteDteu himself Will the Reueral re-
PROFESSOR DoREMUs' OPINIONS.
an hour Ia er caiIed mon Dorems ri his
house, In Union place. The Professor received the
reporter with ms accustomed courtesy, and con-
versati0n ensued as a matter Of course.
Professor asked the reporter, shave you read
the evidence in The Wharton trial as published IN
~ have read good deal Of 1t; have not read to-
days HERALD yet, but will soon.'
"What do you think, sir, OF the analyses OF Pro-
lessons Aiken ana TOnry ~
al hardly think 1t proper in matter OF great
importance to give an opinion on q newspaper re-
port. You see It Is dicuIt for non scientific men
TO report SUCH evidence correctly, letter added or
omitted making the Widest difference sometimes IN
to say that had used a China tcacup In an impor-
tant experiment. before public audience, when, In
TACT, The vessel used was something entirely diner
ent And, indeed even supp0sing that the report
Is entirely correct and 1t no doubt Is, doubt the
prOpriety OF my giving an OpiaiOn In the case just
now. This may say, though, tnat-Judging from
the reports In the HERALD--the analyses made by
Professors Aiken and TOnry are
DISGRACE TO AMERICAN SCIENCE"
Then Sir, you think that the three tests made by
Dr. Aiken were inadequateW
"Wait; what were the tests ~
The reporter produced copy Of the HERALD
and read from the evidence as follows:-
give with suphureited hydrogen with suphde Of ammo
ns% an a. red that h:
solution IN hydrochoric acid If dropped into WATER shall
"Most certainly they were insufficient and alb
surd. This VIII also apply 70 Professor Tonry's
Tne learned Professor then proceeded to explain
the proper way OF making Analyses ma sra las
be found fully expressed. That was case OF sus-
pected poisoning by arsenic, he SAID; but were the
same method adopted IN making analys sis OF the
remains OF General KeLchum the same satisfactory
scientific results would be obtained.
by the reporter, sald:-.'Ihe analysis made by Pro.
lessor Aiken AMI Professor Tony las reported in the
DISCOVERY ANTHONY
Is anything but scientific; for the pure metal an
ssSa ans HS pOTcea ea All tine mesa
could be procured BY process which was fully
many feet Of coled glass tubing, heated red hot by
the glass beyond the coils The compound o. anti
m0ny and hydrogen can be treated in similar
coils, ana thus all the metal can be procured In
pure condition and can be subjected to chemical
sor 2cCulocS mas very justly stated that the color
where organic matters are present. are not to
IN COMMON CHEMICAL RESEARCH,
especially where character and life are involved"
The reporter then thanked the learned gentleman
Professor Doreu,us' Tests In the Stephens
Case.
The following Is an extract from the report OF
the Professor In the stephens case, which bears
particularly on the case Of General Ketchum:-
Citv ana county OF NeU York, ss:-R. ogden
Doremus being duly sworn, deposes and says, that
he Is Professor Of Chemistry In the New York
Medical college and IN the New York college OF
Pharmacy that BY order OF Coroner Connery he has
made series OF theological examinations OF tho
remains OF MIS- sophia Stephens with tho following
rcsuits:-
on Friday, september "a, 1888, deponent was
present. with his assistant, Or. Adam Zeuker, az the
postmortem conducted by DIT. James IL. WOOD at
the dead house, Bellevue Hospital
As lu report of tins ex am nation has been pre-
sented 10 the Cor0ner's Jury by Or. Wood repet
ton Il, perhaps, unnecessary, In connecuon WIN
the chemical testimony. The stomach was Tea ~
the cardiac and pylorIc extremities, ana Win sne