The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-11-19
SCIENCE OF ToxICoLoGY.
Experts May Mix Poisons So rs to Leave
Few Traces.

TOW lAdCcSs
The poison-monger's art has con-
trived to defy the progress of science
by constant improvements of it's own
Only few weeks ago one of the ex-
perts consulted in the trial of the New
York student accused of causing the
death of his wife quoted the opinion OF
several eminent specialists to the effect
that mo chemical analysis can pretend
to trace the vestiges OF certain poisons
as modified by the subsequent admins
tration of other drugs"
In other words, prisoners have learned
to cover the traces of their crime by
taking the precaution to use more than
one drug. Arsenic and strychnine oc-
casionally betray their presence, even
have retained only the hundredth part
of a grain, but the tests of the analysis
are so delicate and so far from being
unequivocal that their reliability de-
ponds upon conditions which adopts
have often managed to modify.
The prisoners of antiquity had. in
deed to contend with a far more seri-
that the iniuriousness of many viru-
lent substances betrays itself by their
responsiveness Strychnine and opium
are intensely bitter SO much SO. In fact,
that in some of their powdered forms
an invisible trace can be tasted in the
air on shaking assmall quantity from
one paper into another. Belladonna,
digitalis, stramonium, hemlock and
colchium are either acrid or so nause-
Gus that deadly dose can be swallowed
only with difficulty, even by suicides
In an admixture with most articles of
food vegetabl poisons can generally be
detected by the protest of the human
palate
Certain mineral poisons, however.
make remarka bic exception from that
rule II would almost seem as IL ma
ture had not thought il worth her while
to warn our instincts against such out
of-the-way So distances as sugar of lead
or arsenious acid Common white ars-
enie ia odorless and almost tasteless.
deceiving even the vigilance of such
cautious creatures as rats and foxes
In small doses It's taste IS as difficult 70
detect as that of few particles Of
white chalk or powdered alum bnt be-
iry rather insoinble substance the
deadly drug might betray itself 10 the
eye.
II I should see 1T to take short
line trip 10 the other world. said the
Swiss philosopher Halter. Il rvould no
more think of shooting nyses than 3
man would dream of getting himself
fired across the river from the mouth of
q cannon II he could instead use q com
rnodions ferry" He ailp1es 10 the ea-
thanasia 81 narcotic poisons. and his
view would have been confirmed IL he
had lived 20 witness the experiments
thai have made p-assie acid aad cyan
ID. Of potassium the tarcrise drugs Of
suicides a single drop Of the acid ap-
piled 10 the tongue Of 3 fuii-grcwn rab-
bit has been known 70 produce instant
death. and the failure Of suicidal at
te-np.s with drugs OF that sort can BE-
often explained by the fact that ANA
teur chemists arc apt TO use absurd
ove-3oses
4 Young druggist Of sny Acquaintance
came near getting himself into serious
trouble By accommodating a friend svho
pretended 20 need LOT o. cyanide
for photographs purposes This cns-
toner intended 20 take veeD through