St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-02-16
The Chemists Story.

am Il chemist. ManN. doubtless.
would tiud il dithrult t. define wh:u
the duties ut :: chemist are, If asked.
To >Hch s.IN Il chemist i, Il collector ut
facts. 1t is the business ut his life To
aid III unn:!Sklmg, tur the benefit OF
mankind, the good and evil lowering
even in the air We breathe. barrow lI!g
In he earth We tIr;id. mlnGllng with
the food We eat. and swimming i'll the
water We dlimk. Then. again. the ltw
waits ulI the chemist. y human being
has PASSED suddenly away. S"mrh"dN
thinks there has been foul play. The
chemist examines the body of the sup
posed Victim. The law listens. hat III
hand. to srienrc Ihc suspected party
tIculhl,s i'll anticipation. The "raCulaI
lips of the chemist move. ne nHiItS one
"ut of the fearful list ot p"io"ne. 1t Is
either strN clIninc. prrls>lc acid, oI that
deadl, oil of bitten almonds The law
then puts Ou it, hat. takes the decision
into court, and hangs the prisoner.
| In short. the chemist must know the
WHY'S and Whrretores OF every thing III
the phcn"mcma al life, a, Ia! a. feeble
man rau know. he composition of
| the ,,rr;li ne must l'. familiar with lac
must hc able to nauc the gases If the
,ir. and capable of resolving the human
body itself iutu invisible NIpuI> am
| the occupant of this Iesp"lSihlc and
iuIrulta!t position in the medical col
| leSC of p.
II Was about II o'clock ON II stormy
evening that | hade good night t. my
student. r"in Richards, al the d"or OF
my laboratory, ut the south end of the
college buildings.
Good night. professor, said Tom ;
I've are going t" have Il fall ot Ia, iro-
gen. uAN gen, and Il trace ut Sallnr.
hydrogen and oAN gen iii "ul no
mcnclature is water.
Il hope said, in An>wrI I" I"ln :
play tul words. that ii viii not tdim he
foIe | get home"
"Oh, no: it wont luin t"r I'll h"ur
Vet, said lnm.
"Thcm,' said with Il sigh, noticing
that the mercury i'll my barometer was
falling, Il sign of Il Violent storm, II
shall surely get wet.
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after - O'Clock. 81
told him | was about to commence an
alN ling he stomach of 4 MIS-. johnson,
" hose husband now lay in p jail.
lust 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 my
self. He spoke the truth; still had
DELAYED examining the Womans stom-
ach So long. and the trial MAS 81 mean
at hand. that could not III conscience
put of the examination farther. al
though had heard several CLASSES re-
cite at the different public schools IN
the morning: had delivered lecture
in the college proper that afternoon
another in the laboratory 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, ht
brushed against Il man standing Will
his back 10 the college and his face to
tine prison. The street lamp showed
me that the man WAS in the police uni
fulm.
Re-entcring my laboratory, took
down Il glass jar from the shelf and sat
down before my sink to examine it
The Jar, which contained Mrs. johnson
stomach, WAS covered 10y Il cloth, duly
tied with string. and properly sealed
with my official seal in red wax. Break
ing through the cloth, lifted the StOm-
ach out with IL dissccting hook and laid
il on Il white platter before me- then
became huSily employed in applying
those tests to its contents Icy which We
detect the presence of injurious sub.
stances.
An hour had passed since the depai.
ture of younp Richards ] had care.