The Evening critic., 1882-03-01
STILL A MYSTERY,
The Exact Cause of the Deaths of Mrs.
Lcveioy and Miss Kcefc Not Asccr-
tnined-ProE Tristoe Fails 10 Find

The Exact Cause of the Deaths of Mrs.
Loveioy and Miss Kccfc Not Asccr-
tnfned-ProE Tristoe Fails 10 Find
Traces of Poison.
+. T. Fristoe, professor of chemistry Of tho
National Medical college, has submitted to
District-Attorney Corkhill the report Of his in
vestigatlon for poison in the cases OF Mrs.
Johannah Lovoioy and Miss Kate Koefe. The
Professor Gays he took portions Of the stomach,
liver and spleen Of Miss Kcefe separately, and
having destroyed the organic matter at tenn
peraturo not above 212o f., examined each
systematically, and by delicatcly special tests,
for poisonous metallic compounds, and no trace
OF lead, mercury, arsenic, antimony any
mineral poison could be found, and the only
metals detected were traces OF iron and calcium
The Professor then took about half pound
OF parts Of all the organs together, including
the small intestines, and subjected this
amount TO a similar treatment, and after
careful search could detect no metallic poison.
In the Same way he carefully examined parts
OF all the organs OF Mrs. Loveioy, with the same
results as in the case OF Miss Keefe. 1t ia,
therefore, evident that these persons could not
have died from the effects OF q mineral poison,
as some would have been found In one or other
OF these organs.
He then made an examination for any or oil
of the vegetable alkaloids, and took portions of
the several organs OF Miss Keofe and subjected
them to the process of dialysis with pure
water, for forty.eight hours, and no trace of
poison could be found in the dialysed li1uid.
chloric acid TO the dialyser and allowed It to
remain in tho water for twenty.four hours,
and evaporation and publication OF tho liuuid
was tested with the same result.
He also subjected to the proper test small
amount of liquid found in the stomach of Miss
kecfe and found no trace OF anything Injurious
TO health. Further tests showed no vegetable
poison. He also examined the contents OF a
bottle containing liquid found in Miss Keefe's
room, and no poison wns found there.
Failing to find anything in the organs or
bottle, he procured q cat and gave 1t an ounce
and half OF the emulsion, without producing
the slightest effect, after the lapse Of nearly
an hour.
The Professor made further experiments on
the cat with like results, In concluding his
report, Prof. Fristoe says:
ain view OF all these results, have to report
that no poison can be found I'm any of the
organs which came into my possession, of the
two deceased persons, or in any Of the bottles
of suspected liquids, or In any vessels sent me
for examination.
"The symptoms in these cases, as far as can
be learned, evidently indicate a poison, and
the question why 1t cannot be found should
receive a satisfactory answer.
''Either one OF the following reasons, or all Of
them together, will be amply sufficient.
"First-Both the deceasedpersons, learn,
vomited violently for several hours after being
taken sick; SO much 80 that the stomach OF
one was entirely empty, and that of the other
nearly so, and by this means all the poison
may have been elected, and the vomited mat
ters having been thrown away all traces of 1t
may be lost.
"second-very few vegetable poisons can be
found In the tissues, after they pass the stom-
ach and enter the circulation, as they undergo
rapid changes, strychnine being remarkable
exception to this rule. These persons lived
about nfty-five (55) hours after they were
taken sick, sufficient time for all that was not
removed by the vomit to have entered the sys-
TEN and become changed"
Third-"There many powerful vegetable
poisons for which there are no chemical test
and no means OF detecting them, except by
botanical characters, when leaves, roots or
| seeds have been taken or by having sufficient
| quantities left to try their effects upon other
animals"