“From the distribution of the poison in the organs and tissues and from the appearance of the body, I inferred that the administration of arsenic had been going on for a considerable time. There were signs of chronic poisoning which led me to believe that for quite a long time—perhaps months—deceased had been taking repeated small doses of the poison, and that the final dose took such rapid effect by reason of the enfeebled state of the deceased at the time when it was administered.”
“And as to the mode of administration? Did you ascertain that?”
“In part, I ascertained it quite definitely. When the bearers went to the house to fetch the body, I accompanied them and took the opportunity to examine the bedroom. There I found on the mantelpiece a bottle of medicine with the name of deceased on the label and brought it away with me. It was an eight ounce bottle containing when full eight doses, of which only one had been taken. Dr. Barnes and I, together, analyzed the remaining seven ounces of the medicine and obtained from it just over eleven grains of arsenic; that is a fraction over a grain and a half in each ounce dose. The arsenic was in solution and had been introduced into the medicine in the form of the solution known officially as Liquor Arsenicalis, or Fowler’s Solution.”
“That is perfectly definite,” said the coroner. “But you said that you ascertained the mode of administration in part. Do you mean that you inferred the existence of some other vehicle?”
“Yes. A single dose of this medicine contained only a grain and a half of arsenic, which would hardly account for the effects produced or the amount of arsenic which was found in the body. Of course, the preceding dose from the other bottle may have contained the poison, too, or it may have been taken in some other way.”
“What other way do you suggest?”
“I can merely suggest possibilities. A meal was taken about eight o’clock. If that meal had contained a small quantity of arsenic—even a single grain—that, added to what was in the medicine, would have been enough to cause death. But there is no evidence whatever that the food did contain arsenic.”
“If the previous dose of medicine had contained the same quantity of the poison as the one that was last taken, would that account for the death of deceased?”
“Yes. He would then have taken over three grains in four hours—more than the minimum fatal dose.”
“Did you see the other—the empty medicine bottle?”