The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-02-08
THE CHEMISTS STORY.

I am chemist. Many, doubtless, would
lind it difficult to define what the duties of
= chemist are, if asked. To such, say
chemist is collector of facts. 1t is the
business Of his life to aid IN unmasking,
for the worlds benefit, the good and evil
lowering even in the air we breath, bur
rowing in the earth we tread, minging
with the food we eat, and swimming in
what We drink.
Then, again, the law waits on the che
mist. \ human being has passed. sudden
ly away. Somebody thinks there has been
FOUL play. The chemist examines the
body of the supposed victim. The law
listens, hat in hand, to science. The sus-
pected party trembles in anticipation The
oracular lips Of the chemist move; he name.
one out of fearful list Of rGisons It
il either strychninc, prussc acid, Or that
deadly oil of bitter almonds. The law then
puts on it, 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 be able
10 name the gases of the air, and capable
Of resolving the human body itself into in
visible vapors. l am the occupant of this
responsible and important position in the
medical college of P.
1t was about IL o'clock on a stormy
evening that l babe good night to my stu
dent, Tom Richards, at the door of nv lab
oratory, at the south end of the college
buildings.
Goodnight, professor" said Tom;
we are going to have fall of hydrogen,
oxygen, and a trace Of saline.
Hydrogen and oxygen-in our nomen-
clature II. O.-is water.
hope" ! said, in answer to Toms
playful words, " that it will not rain be-
fore | get home"
"Oh, no; it won't for an hour vet,
eaid Tom.
Then | said, with a sigh, noticing
shat the mercury in the barometer was
falling, sign Of violent storm, Il shall
certainly get wet
Tom was very anxious to know what
would keep me up utter - o'clock, so |
told him VS. aboct to commence analvz
ing the stomach y Mrs johnson, whose
husband now lay in p jail, Just across
The read from the college on suspicion that
he was the murderer. Tom said ! had
worked hard enough that day and deserved
the night to myself He spoke the truth:
sill, | had delayed examining the woman's
ssomaeh SO leng, snd tho tri.l was so near
ut hand, that could not in conscience put
of the examination farther. although had
heard several classes recte ~ the different
public schools in the morning; had de!iv-
cred lecture in the college proper that sf-
.ernoon, another in the laboratory that
evening, beside attending to my several
duties as police surgeon during the day.
As Tom WAS passing out Of the college
yard through tie gate. his head Turned,
bidding me good night. he brushed against
= man standing with his back to the col
lege and his face to the prison. Tbs
strcst-lanp showed me that the man was
in the police uniform.
Re-entering my laboratory. | took down
. glass jar from the she and sat down be-
fore my sink to examine it, The lar
which contained Mrs. Johnson's stomach.
WAS covered by cloth, duly tied with
string, and properly sealed with nv official
seal in red wax. Breaking through the
cloth i lifted the stomach out with dis
sso.ing hook and laid il on a white platter
before me: then became busly employed
In applying thos" tests TO its contents By
which we detec the presence of injurious
substance.
An hour had passed since the departure
Of young Richards. | had carefully emp
tied the contents Of tbs stomach into a
number of bowls and basins | had la
bored hard TO discover traces of poison in
all this, but had been unsuccessful Joe
johnson, the suspected man, had been
student Of mine a few vsars before. |
thought him good-hearted, intelligent
fellow, only little wild, and really began
to hope that he might prove innocent
when, among the macerated food, came
upon a small, nfnitesimal white grain.
BY careful manipulation and the use of nv
magnifying glass | managed to get this
upon piece of smoked glass, and examin-
ated it.
l Was then certain | had discovered ar
senic, but to make assurance doublv sure
determined to apply well-known test
for that poison. Accordingly placed in the
woman's stomach the usual acids, and then
turned ON the blowpipe flame, and presently
there appeared the brilliant metallic marx.
worthy Of Gains brow, which is the sign
and signet Of the poison fend.
Yes" | exclaimed IS ! saw the fatal