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ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

posed that if the death were of that slow description to allow of theseacts of volition, convulsions woidd have occurred, and the bed-clotheswould have been found disordered. On the other hand, those cases inwhich no convulsions occur usually terminate too quickly to allow of theabove acts. The medical witnesses in the above case were not agreed inopinion: the majority thought that it was impossible the deceased couldhave had the power of corking the bottle. The jury very properly foundthe prisoner not guilty.

There are two points of inquiry connected with the action of this acid,which are interesting, more particularly in a medico-legal point of view—namely, the time at which the poison begins to operate, and the period inwhich it proves fatal. No absolute answer can be given to either ofthese questions, since the strength and quantity of the acid exhibited,and peculiarities (not known or understood) affect the result. Very strongacid, in large doses, begins to operate immediately on touching thethroat, and death is almost instantaneous. The dilute acid, on the otherhand, sometimes does not produce any obvious effect for several minutes,and death may not occur for nearly half an hour. Of seven epilepticpatients killed in one of the Parisian hospitals by hydrocyanic acid, somedid not die for forty-five minutes. But I have not found the same quan-tity of the same acid kill different individuals of the same species in thesame period of time.

Morbid Appearances. —The post-mortem appearances in cases ofpoisoning by this acid are the following :—Glistening and staring expres-sion of the eyes, but which, however, is not a constant phenomenon,since it was not observed in the seven Parisian epileptics : nor is it pecu-liar to this poison, for the same is observed after death by carbonic acid,and in other cases (Christison) the odour of the acid is oftentimes veryobvious in the blood, brain, chest, or stomach: the venous system isusually gorged with blood, while the arteries are empty: the blood is, inmany cases, fluid, dark, or bluish black, and viscid or oily: the vessels ofthe brain and spinal marrow are frequently gorged with blood ; and thecerebral ventricles sometimes contain a serous or sanguineous liquor; thelungs are, in some instances, natural—in others, turgid with blood: theinternal lining of the stomach is sometimes red.

It has been stated by Magendie, that after death by the strong acid,the muscles are not sensible to the galvanic influence. But this condi-tion is very rarely present; indeed I have never observed it in animalskilled by this acid; but Dr. Christison states he has occasionally foundit. I have examined a considerable number of animals (principally rabbits)destroyed by hydrocyanic acid, and have always found the muscles to bepowerfully affected by the galvanic influence : nor have I once met witha single case in which the heart had ceased to beat when the chest hadbeen laid open immediately after death.

Modus Operandi. —There are several interesting subjects of inquiryconnected with the operation of hydrocyanic acid, which, as they areprincipally theoretical, I shall briefly notice under this head.

(a.) Local action. —Dr. Christison says that Robiquet’s fingers becameaffected with numbness, which lasted several days, in consequence oftheir exposure for some time to the vapour of this acid ( Treatise onPoisons, 3d ed. p, 698). This effect would appear to depend on the