The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-03-15
The Asylum Mystery.
THE RESULT OF THE CHEMICAL ANALYSES
-ACoNITINE THE FATAL AGENr.-PR0F.
WALLETS TESTIMONY.

THE RESULT OF THE CHEMICAL ANALYSES
--ACoNITINETHEFA FATAL AGENT.-PRoF.
WALLETS TESTIMONY.
Another chapter in the Asylum mystery is
on record, and yet the end seems no nearer
than it was two weeks ago. The fatal drug is
known but where and how it was administered
and who employed it remains to be discovered
Last week, Commonwealth Attorney. Echols
received n letter from Prof. Mallet announcing
that he had definitely determined the char
acter of the poison from which the patients
died, and stating that he would like the jury
10 hear his testimony on Tuesday Accord
| ingly on that day, the jury, in company Will
the Prof repaired TO the Asylum, and wen
immediately TO the
DIsPENsARY.
There they were met i,y Drs. Hamilton, But
| Ter and Strain.
Dr. Mallet made cursory examination o.
the drug supply in the dispensary, and Dr
Butler was asked ii he had any hyoscyamln'
the active principle oi hyoscyanus. DIR. But
Ter replied that he had not seen any hyoscyamln
in the Asylum since he had been there, and
knew that there had been none since DIR. VIM
Hamilton left.
Superintendent r. S Hamilton subsequently
explained that whilst Dr. VIM. Hamilton was
The assistant at the Asylum. he (oupermtend-
ent) had gotten into good -natured discussion
with Dr.. William bout the use OF hyoscyamln
in administering to one of the patients, Dr
W lian insisting ON The use OF the drug and
the Superintendent rather oppUsing 1t. Al
that time there was no hyoscyamn at the Asy'
lum but shortly afterwards the Superintend d.
enl purchased vial Of Keith's preparation IN
town and took it oyer. DIR. VIM. Hamilton
objected TO The use OF that preparation and the
bottle was never opened Mcrck's preparation
was then obtained and made into solution.
1t WAS used once or Twice and the remainder
left when Dr. William Hamilton retired. Inn
mediately afterwards DR.. CrockeI poured Out
what was left.
DIR. Butler was then asked if he had aconl'
tine He replied that he had not, and that
there had been none in the dispensary since he
had been in charge.
The jury then adjourned to another room
and
PROF. j W. WALLET
was placed On the stand. In response to in
terrogatories, Dr. Mallet stated that he resided
at the University OF Virginia, and held the
position OF Professor of Chemistry in the
University. The whole occupation of my
adult life, said he, has been in chemistry, and
| may fairly consider myself an expert in
chemical analyses. The doctor then proceeded
as toliows | saw The stomachs Of Messrs.
Hines, Hoilomau and Adams, the patients
who died at The Asylum ON the oath OF Feb
ruary, taken from The bodies and placed in
jars. | look charge of those jars and no one
except myself had access to them either before
or during the examination N their contents.
In beginning examination the contents OF the
stomachs were found TO present the following
characters
In the case of J. I. Ho,loman, a redaish'
turbld, but not thick or viscous liquid no dis
tinct remains of solid food slight peculiar
odor; no smell of prussic acid or of decon1-
position; scarcely any action on itmus paper,
blue or red very faint indication of acidty
on the paper drying.
LII the case of Hines Reddish completely
geatinized semitiuid mass, set into Jelly no
distinct remains of solid food, except one frag-
ment of a vegetable leaf, probably tea Leaf,
tho the mid-rib was rather thick and heavy
same slight peculiar smell as in Holloman S
case; no odor OF prussc acid or of decumposi-
ton same behavior with Litmus paper, as in
Hollomans case.
In case of Adams Reddish, turbid LIQUID
like that in Holloman's case. No distin ct re-
mains Of solid food same slight peculiar odor
as in the other two cases same absence of
smell of prussic acid or of decomposition
same absence of marked action on litmus pa
per, with very faint acidity on paper drying.
The very speedy death of soaase of the par
ties suggested the propriety of looking ior
prussic acid, or cyoEide of potassium altho'
the absence of the characteristic smell rem
dered the probability of finding either of these
small. | Immediately examined for these por-
tons of the contents of the stom achs of Hol-
oman and Adams, but with entirely negative
results. There was so much less material
from the stomach of Hines that this was not
examined in the same way. The portions of
the contents of the two stom,achs named,
amned, as matter of precaution, for phos-
phorus, the chief mineral acids, oxalic acid,
and the chief poisonous metals, viz arsenic,
mercury, copper, lead, zinc and anthony,
with entirely negative results. 1t being obvious
that the class of poisons row to be looked for
was that of the alkaloids the remaining por-
tions of the contents OF the three stomachs
and the three stomachs themselves, cut into
small pieces-making six specimens in all
were separately treated by the appropriate
method for the extraction of the alkaloids,
using chloroform as the final solvent. The
residues left on the evaporation of the chloro-
form, weighed as follows:
j. Z. Holl0naa2a-Stoma ch. .. 0l9 or.
Remains of contents of stomach. -. 100 or.
Same calculated for whole of original
amount OF contents of stomach :. s73 gr.
J. W. Hines-Stomach. $50. 49,. .O12 gr.
Contents OF stomach. -. OH gr.
z. W. Adaans-Stomach. .......... .O26 gr.
Portion OF contents of stomach used SAB or
Same calculated for whole of original
contents. ................... .S47 CT.
These residues were almost perfectly color
less, glossy or gummy in appearance, with
signs of crystalization in the case of that ex-
tracted from Adams stomach. No odor, either
in dry state or on moistening or heating until
complete decomposition took place. These
were most carefully tested, the very peculiar
taste with singing and numbing effect upon
the tongue, which is characteristic of aconi.
tine, was distinctly obtained in the residue
from each of the six specimens. La the res
idue from the stomach of Adams, the bromine
test was also used, and in the residue from the
contents of all three stomachs the action of
nitric acrid, sulphuric acid, and bi-chromate
of potash, caustic soda, chloride of gold, chic
ride of platinum, plcrc acid iodine dissolved
in iodide of potassium, and bromide dissolved
in hydrobromic acid was also observed.
l tried to examine the physiological effect
on the pupil OF the eye of the chloroform
resdues, but an extremely minute particle
produced such excessive irritation and pain