Reports of Trials for Murder by Poisoning; / by Prussic Acid, Strychnia, Antimony, Arsenic, and Aconita. Including the trials of Tawell, W. Palmer, Dove, Madeline Smith, Dr. Pritchard, Smethurst, and Dr. Lamson, with chemical introduction and notes on the poisons used

by G. Lathom Browne; active 19th century C. G. Stewart

Dr. Frederick Penny then gave in his reports on the portions of the bodies of Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Pritchard, given to him by Dr. Maclagan. The following is the substance of the report in Mrs. Pritchard’s case:—

“Dried Contents of Intestines.—By the first process employed an abundant black precipitate was obtained, which by proper treatment was separated into sulphide of antimony and sulphide of mercury. The sulphide of antimony, which was obtained of a fine orange-red colour, was washed, dried, and weighed. Its weight corresponded to a quantity of metallic arsenic equal to 2.1 grains in one thousand parts of the dried contents of the stomach. The same sulphide was found to be readily soluble in sulphide of ammonium, and also in hydrochloric acid; and the acid solution, when poured into water, gave a white precipitate, and when boiled with copper ribbon deposited a violet-coloured coating on the surface of the copper. The coated copper, on being heated in a glass tube, gave no distinct crystalline sublimate. All these results are eminently characteristic of sulphide of antimony when thus treated.

“The sulphide of mercury gave metallic mercury corresponding to 3 grains in 1,000 grains of the dried contents of the intestines. The report then states how these tests were confirmed by further experiments on the solution by Reinsch’s test supplemented by that of Marsh.

“Stomach, by the same methods, yielded antimony in appreciable proportions, equal to 0.5 of a grain in 1,000 parts, but no mercury; that it was afterwards treated for morphia and aconite, but not a trace of these substances was obtained.

“Liver found to contain antimony equal to one-tenth of a grain in 1,000 parts, but no mercury.

“Spleen yielded antimony in about the same proportion as the liver, and also contained mercury in well-marked quantity.

“Kidney about the same proportion as the liver, and a minute trace of mercury.

“Heart yielded antimony in a proportion rather larger than that found in the liver, and less mercury than in the spleen.

“Brain yielded antimony in less quantity than the liver, and no mercury.

“Blood yielded a small quantity of antimony, and a faint trace of mercury.