Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-03-16
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM
MYSTERY.

THE LUNATIC ASYLUM
MYSTERY.
THE POISON ASCERTAINED To BE
ACONITINE.
THE EXPERT TESTIMONY OF PROF. NAL
LEr-NO MISTAKE IN COMPoUNDINa
THE NEDIclNEs-THE CASE NOT YET
CONCLUDED.
&c., &C., &C.
| On Tuesday morning last, at 9 O'Clock
the jury of inquest in this case took up its
customary walk over to the w. L. Asylum,
having been notified that Prof Mallet had
completed his analyses OF the stomachs OF
three of the patients recently poisoned
there. and was ready to testify before them.
At the Asylum all seemed to be going on
J in the regular groove, the only change
noticeable being in the direction of extra
precaution taken by the Superintendent.
eyipced by the posting of notice On the
door of the immense Kitchen, s,gned by DR..
r. s. Hamilton. warning patients against
hanging around the kitchen.
THE EXPERT WHO TESTIFIED.
Prof Mallet, the expert chemist who
testified. has national reputatio aud has
given his testimony as such. in some of the
most remarkable poisoning cases in Vi H.
GUS States. including Virginia. Maryland
and l. uisiana. He is middle as@d SER
| tleman of medium hight. with iron gray
hair and beard, and one of the finest faces
we have ever seen. Under the law govern
King such Investigations he has conducted
he analyses alone with no assistant, and
the doors Of the laboratory continuously
locked. His mode of giving evidence is
calm, clear. and comprehensive. His
| charge for the analyses made i'll The Asy-
lum cases was $3.50.
~ THE POISON USED. 1888.
To enable our readers to understand
better the bearing of the testimony, given
| by Prof. Mallet, we give some particulars
| about the poison used and other matters.
| Aconitine or Aconitia-it may be spelled
either way, is the active principle Of. the
Aconite root or leaf. The plant derives
its name from the fact that it grows chief
II among steep rocks. Wolfs-bane or
! monk 's-hood 10 q plant of the genus AGO.
nitum. Aconitine IS the active poisonous
principle extracted from the plant. There
| Is also tincture Of Aconite and fluid ex-
| tract of AcOnite to which the -Ac0nitlne
bears somewhat the same relation as the
/ principle of alcohol does to wbiskey where
it is strong. wine where it is weaker and
beer where it is weakest. Tincture Of
Aconite Is made by maceraIing the root
at the plant with alcohol. which gives q
light red tiucture of which thirty or forty
drops might produce death, and of which
five or ten drops is the usual dose. The
fluid extract of Aconi,e IL a preparation
made by mixing alcohol and the pow
dered root of the Aeonlte plant In the
proportion Of ounce for ounce. This is
much stronger than the tincture, and if
TEEN drops would be a dangerous DOSE
This is also Of q light red color. In Prof.
Mallet's testimony it will be observed, he
says: That none of this celor was in the
medicine found remaining In the two
glasses from which Wilkins and Adams
had drank potions SO deadly as to cause
almost instant death, which goes to show
that the apothecary had not by mist Ike
put in either tincture or fluid extract; also
that in the tests of the medicine left 10 the
bottles from which the general medicines
had been poured into the mugs, no traces
of Aconitine was found, which does away
with the presumption that the medi-
cines were originally compounded wrong;
and also that the extraordinary suddenness
of the deaths pointed to the use of the &C.
tive Aconitine and not to the weaker tine
ture or fluid extracts. This removal of the
blame from the door of the apothecary
though a welcome solution to him and all
interested in the welfare of the Asylum,
does not advance step towards solving
the great mystery, that from this first has
hung over this awful disaster. But one
drug firm in Stauuton has Aconitine and
that has only a small bottle, which bottle
has not been opened for years. The great
question now Is where could patient have
obtained the deadly drug We give below
the evidence before the jury on Tuesday
PROF. MALLEr OF THE UNIVERSITY
ON THE STAND.
reside at the University of Virginia.
and hold the position of Professor Of
Chemistry in that University. The occu,
patton of my whole adult life has been that
OF chemist; and I may fairly consider
myself an expert at chemical analysis
| / O1l Of hx. Of obo NJ
tents thereof of Thomas W. Adams. John
w. Hines and Thomas j. Holloman, which
l had taken charge of when removed from
the bodies at the Asylum. No one but
myself had access to them before or DUR
Ing the examination of the contents. On
beginning the examination of the
CONTENTS OF THE sToMACHs
they we're found to present the following
characters
In the case Of j. T. Holloman, a redd ish
turbid. but not thick or viscous liquid; no
distinct remains of solid food, slight pc
culiar odor, no smell of Prussic acid or
OF decomposition: scarcely any action on
itmus paper-blue or red, very faint in
dication OF acidity on the paper drying,
In the case of j. W. Hines, reddish
completely selatlnized semi-duid mass,
no distinct remains of solid food except
one fragment Of a vegetable Leaf. probably
. tea leaf, though the miirb WAS rather
thick and heavy for tea leaf, same slight
peculiar sEnsll as in Holloman's case no
oder o. Prussic acid or of decomposition.
Same behavior with litmus paper as In
Holloman's case.
In case of Thomas W. Adams, reddish
turbid liquid like that in Holloman's case.
no distinct remains of solid food, same