Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-01-25
THE CHEMISTS STORY.

| am chemist. Many, doubtless,
would find it difhcult to define what
the duties Of chemist are, if asked.
To such, say a chemist is II collector
of facts II is the business of his life
TO aid in unmasking, for the worlds
benefit, the good and evil lowering even
in the mir we breath, burrowing
in the earth we tread, mingling with
the food we eat, and swimming in what
we drink.
Then, again, the law waits ON the
chemist. A human being has passed
suddenly away. Somebody thinks there
has been foul play The chemist ex
amines the body of the supposed vie
tim. The law listens, hat in hand, to
science. The suspected party trembles
in anticipation. The oracular lips OF
the chemist move he names one ont of
a fearful list of poisoHs. 1t is either
strychnine, prusslc acid, or that deadly
oil of 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 wherefores Of everything in
the phenomena of life, rs far as feeble
man can know. The composition of
the ocean he must be familiar with he
must bo able TO name the gases of the
air, and capable of resolving the human
body itself into invisible yapors. am
the occupant of this responsible and
important position in the medical col.
ege of P.
1t was about IL O'Clock on stormy
evening that babe good night to my
student, Tom Richards, at the door of
my laboratory, Mt the south end of the
college buildings.
" Goodnight, professor, said Tom;
I'VE are going to have fall of hy-
drogen, oxygen, and II trace of saline
hydrogen and oXygen--in our no
menclature II, Q, is water
" hope, | said, i'll answer TO Tom s
playful words, that it will not rain
before get home"
" oh, no 1t won't for an hour yet, ~
said Tom.
Theu, " | said, with a sigh, noticing
that the mercury in the barometer wa S
falling. a sign of violent storm, Il
shall certainly get wet.
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up after II O'clock, So
told HIM was about TO commence
analy2iug the stomach of Mrs. John
SON, whose husband now lay in p
jail. Just across the road from the col
lege on suspicion that he was the MUIR
derer. Tom said | had worked hard
enough that day and deserved theuight
10 myself He spoke the truth still.
| had delayed examining the woman's
stomach SO long, and the trial was So
near nj hand, that | could not in CON
science put off the examination farther
although | hUd heard several classes
recite at the different public schools in
the morning had delivered a lecture
IN the college proper that afternoon.
another IN the laboratory that evening,
beside attending to my several duties
rs police surgeon duuug the day.
As Tom Was passing out Of the coli
lege yard through the gate. his head
tlrued, bidding me good night. he
brushed against man standing with
his back TO the college and his face to
the prison The street lamp showed
me that the man was in the police uni
form,
Re-entering my laboratory, i took
down a glass jar from the shelf and sat
down before my sink to examine it. The
jar, which contained Mrs. Johuson's
stomach, was covered by cloth. duly
tied with string, and properly scaled
with my official sealin red wax. Break
ing through the cloth, | lifted the
stomach out with a Gsse,ting hook
and laid it on a white platter before me;
then became busily employed in apply
ing those tests TO its contents rs which
we detect the presence Of injurious sub.
stance.