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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 3:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I have translated the following from a French language Canadian paper called the Le Courrier du Canada dated 4 November 1857. It details a medical-legal enquiry investigation into Tumblety and his medicines. This report is followed by a long technical report by Dr. Larue, the translation of which I am working on at the moment and will post when ready.
This and the Larue report given a fascinating insight into exactly what Dr. T was putting into his medicines.
One query for any linguists! One of the ingredients is listed as "huile de sabine" - if anyone knows what this oil was, what sabine means please let me know.
chris S


Le Courrier du Canada 4 November 1857

(Translation from original article)

LEGAL MEDICINE.

TUMBLETY AFFAIR.

We hold it as a matter of principle not to give any detail, not to make any comment on things which are a question of the competence of criminal trubunals, before the proceedings, and not to say more than the bare minimum, after the proceedings. Therefore we are not intending at this point to discuss the guilt or innocence of the individual named Tumblety whom the Grand Jury in Montreal has just acquitted, and thereto we have only one word to say: if this individual has escaped the penalty of the law, despite the serious facts proved against him in the inquiry conducted before the police magistrate, because of the specialised nature of the accusation, it is, it seems to us, the duty of the authorities to take up again the pursuit of other areas of accusation which may develop from the evidence of the inquiry.
The various remarks that follow are intended to draw the attention of the public and the legislature, of whatever type, to the importance of legal medicine insofar as it serves to clarify awareness of the judges and the accused in a multitude of legal processes. There have often been complaints about the way medico-legal matters are undertaken and conducted in Canada. Without goin over what has been said at various times, without even putting forward an opinion on the observations of experts in the present Tumblety case, we believe we must use the opportunity to engage magistrates and doctors of this country to make a serious study of this question in the interests of the individual and of society.
It is to provide proof of the need for reform in the method of procedure that we offer the public the present Tumblety case in that it concerns the medico-legal expertise that has been produced in this matter. Tumblety had sold pills and liquids which were supposedly made up of abortive substances, or at least those which would fall within that category of medicines defined in English criminal law under the name of "noxious substances." The affair promptly and directly revealed one aspect of legal medicine: for if the medicines were of a completely inoffensive nature Tumblety had committed a deception in aggravated circumstances, and if on the other hand the medicines were of a type to cause the least danger to health, under the alleged circumstances, then Tumblety was guilty of an atrocious crime.
The medicines sold by Tumblety have been exaimed by three experts: Mr. Birks, a chemist from Montreal, Dr. Sutherland, a professor from Montreal and Mr. Larue, a toxicologisy from Quebec. The "Medical Chronicle" in its October issue published the testinony given by the first two experts, and Dr. Larue was very willing to provide us, with permission from the authorities, his report which has not been published elsewhere and of which we start publication today: we do this at the risk of giving our readers several columns of material which is for the most part barely intelligible to our subscribers, with the aim of drawing the attention of all to the important subject of the role of legal medicine in the evading of criminal punishment, and of airing in the press and especially in specialised publications appropriate discussion to make known the names and knowledge of these men who have devoted their efforts to these types of study and who are consequently rendering great benefits to society.
In the present Tumblety case, the opinions of the three experts differ completely from each other and, moreover, on matters which today can hardly be considered scientific areas. As Mr. Birks and Dr. Sutherland have not, to our knowledge, given a detailed report of the precedures in their laboratory, but have disclosed only the results of their research, we will report this result as given in the Medical Chronicale, then we will publish the report of the third expert, Mr. Larue.
Who is wrong? Who is right? We are not qualified to pronounce on these issues: but it is obvious that society and individuals have a great interest to ensure that these very important medico-legal inquiries should be conducted in such a way as not to condemn without conbsideration the accused nor to allow the truly guilty to escape.
We are only giving the testimony of Mr. Birks and Dr. Sutherland insofar as it concerns the composition of Tumblety's medicines, quoting from the Medical Chronicle:
Mr. Birks said: "After a detailed examination of the contents of this bottle, I found that it contained black hellebore, or 'hellebonen', and a small quantity of syrup. I have also very carefully examined three pills and I found that they were composed of cayenne pepper, aloe, oil of 'sabine' and cantharides."
Dr. Sutherland on the question: "What substances do you supposed were used in the composition of these pills?" answered:
"Mainly aloe and at least two other important ingredients of whose nature I am not sure, perhaps cayenne pepper and some essential oil... I have examined one pill which was entirely sufficient... I said that I was certin of the presence of aloe."
The questiones posed to these two experts dealt not only with the composition of the drugs but also with their abortive qualities. The question posed to Mr. Larue - and which he answers in the report which follows - dealt exclusively with the composition of the drugs, considering, no doubt, their general effects as poisons or substances dangerous to bodily health.


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Stephen P. Ryder
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 3:42 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

"Huile de sabine" I believe is Savin Oil.

Some info from the below url:

Savin is a compact evergreen shrub about 1 meter (3 feet) high which tends to spread horizontally. It has pale green bark, small dark green leaves and purplish-black berries containing three seeds. It is a native to North America, the middle and southern Europe.

Savin was once used in an ointment or dressing for blisters, for syphilitic warts and other skin problems but is an irritant when administered internally or locally.

It is a powerful emmenagogue, and serious and fatal cases of poisoning have resulted when attempted to use as an abortifacient.

As an oil, Savin is considered too poisonous to use as it contains podophyllotoxin that destroys cells and has resulted in fatalities.

The oil is banned from sale to the public in many countries due to its toxic effects.

More info: http://www.essentialoils.co.za/essential_oils/savin.htm
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Chris Scott
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Post Number: 197
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 3:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Wow Spry- thanks for the very quick answer:-)
Chris S
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Christopher T George
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 5:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Hi, Stephen:

You may of course be absolutely right that "Huile de sabine" is savin oil and the information you give above might give the gen on this type of oil. However, "Sabine oil" is also a type of olive oil that comes from the Sabine area of Italy. So maybe "Huile de sabine" is not the same as savin oil? Just a thought.

All the best

Chris
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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 6:19 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Here is the first part of Larue's report on Tumblety's medicines which was published in the same issue as the article above. I have tracked down the concluding part of the report in the following issue (6 November) and will be posting that when translated.
As this report is of a technical nature I'd make two obeservations:
1) My technical French is far less than perfect so I will be posting the original articles in French so the better linguists can make corrections.
2) these are VERY dry reading but I think them important as they give an insight into the high level at which Tumblety was investigated and allow us to see what it was he used in his potions
Chris S


Report of Mr. Larue.
We, Francois Alexandre Hubert LaRue, Licentiate of Medicine, and Professor of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Hygiene at the Laval Univeristy of Quebec, have been commissioned, 3rd October 1857, by order of the Honourable Procurator for Lower Canada, by way of an official letter sent to us by Henry Driscoll, Knight, Queen's Counsel, requiring us to prove the ingredients of a certain liquid and certain pills. On 3rd October, 1857, at 9:30. we reciebd from the hands og the Grand Constable for the City of Montreal, M. Delille:
1) A phial, of about two ounces capacity, completely filled with a reddish brown liquid; which phial was stoppered with cork but not sealed
2) A white card box containing ten pills, each of five grains, which box was not sealed.
The Grand Constable and we, havingin turn appended our names and the date - 3rd October 1857 - on the white label on the phial and on the bix, these objects were immediately deposited in an iron case which was then locked and this case placed in a cupboard which contained no similar substances and this cupboard itself was locked, the keys being kept in our possession.
Monday, 5th October 1857, having provided ourselves with test tubes, "horns" and new receptacles etc. we locked ourselves in the laboratory of the Laval University to which no one had access during the whole period of our research, the keys remaining at all time in our possession. Being unable to foresee the number of type of reactions which would be needed in the course of our researchm we had to ensure sufficient supply both in quality and amount as might be needed.
For the present inquiry, we were content to check the purity of our distilled water and hydrochloric acid by use of the normal reagents.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF THE SUBSTANCES:
These substances were presented in the least favourable condition (regarding the state of the pills and the solution) for this examination:
Liquid - The liquid, two ounces in quantity, has a reddish brown colour, which takes on a yellowish appearance when held up to the light from a window. After several hours at rest it deposits a black substance, extremely tenuous and light, resembling a powder. The quantity of this powder, as near as can be calculated, would not be more than a quarter of a grain. The small of the liquid is unpleasant, neither piquant nor acrid - I would not know what other to compare it to. Its taste is sugary, unpleasant and reminded me of the taste of "ricin" oil. This taste is not piquant, acrid, bitter nor corrosive, being neither acid nor alkaline. The taste exhibited no trace of alcohol and a sample of the liquid, tipped into a watch glass, did not ignite when a lighted match was brought near. One drop, tipped onto a sheet of white paper, did not stain it. The liquid has a watery appearance, perhaps slightly viscous; it does not visibly change the colour of sunflowers (? tournesols)
Pills:- The pills, of five grains, are well made and rounded. The external colour is greenish yellow. They have an odour of spirit of mint which masks any other smell. One of these pills, when divided with the nail, was when broken open of a reddish brown colour, showing here and there small red grains. The paste from which these pills are made is fairly homogeneous. The taste is very bitter, a little sugary, and above all of an extreme piquancy which burns the tongue. The burning that these pills produce on the tongue is sufficiently painful that I was obliged to rinse my mouth several times to get rid of it, and it was only by constantly applying cold water to the tongue that I managed to make it stop. This burning left only a slight redness on theend of the tongue. This burning and pain are absolutely consistent with those produced by a few braines of cayenne pepper. Two of these graines were extracted and placed under the microscpe with two grains of cayenne pepper, bought from the apothecary, and presented the same appearance with regard to form and colour. When these two grains were placed on the tongue they produced this same pain just mentioned.
The colour and, above all, the distinctive taste of these grains allow me to conclude the very probable presence of cayenne pepper in these pills; however I cannot absolutely state this in the present circumstances.
After scraping a portion of one of these pills onto a sheet of white paper, and submitting it to an examination under the microscope, the substance, instead of exhibiting the reddish brown color it had shown while the pill was whole, showed a yellow color which stained the paper. There could be be seen small points of bright white, too small to be separated, and, in addition, those red graines which have already been discussed; there was no trace of leaves, roots, no insect remains. Spread out with a little water on a glass slide, the substance exhibited the same yellow colour with a light greenish reflection.
Another pill, after being scraped and examined under the microscope, did not appear so homogeneous in its formation. Besides the structures observed in the first pill, others were found in this one, small light yellow grains, having the appearance of gum. One of them, placed on the tongue, produced a strongly bitter taste.
From the foregoing examination, the results are:
1) That in the composition of these pills, there are several substances
2) That apart from capsicum (cayenne pepper), whose physical characteristics of colour and taste are sufficient for me to assume its very probable presence in the pills, the physical and microscopic examination of these pills produced nothing of note, nothing to justify suspicion as to the presence of one subtance more than another.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS:
On the 7th October, we proceeded to the chemical examination of the liquid; as this liquid was coloured, we proceed to decolour it. the meduim used for this was chlorine. But as the introduction of this gas could produce other raections from a range of substances, we watered down a sample of the liquid to the point where it was colourless and divided this into two parts. The first was treated with hydrochloric acid. After it was well shaken and left to rest for one hour, no precipitate formed. Therefore there is a complete absence of silver, lead and mercury at the very least.
The second part, treated with silver nitrate and left to rest for one hour, showed no reaction. Therefore there is absence of the following acids: hydroionic, hydrochloric, hydrobromic, prussic and oxalic.
In a small green glass globe, washed in preparation with hydrochloric acid and distilled water, we placed roughly a third of the liquid for examination and we subjected it to a stream of chlorine passed through distilled water. The liquid discoloured and was then agitiated, filtered, treated with hydrochloric acid and subjected for half an hour to a stream of hydrogen sulphide passed through distilled water. At the end of this period, a slight, white, milky precipitate had formed. In case the liquid contained oxidised arsenic, it was again subjected to a stream of hydrogen sulphide and heated. It formed nothing in addition to this milky white precipitate. The milky character of this precipitate was too charateristic of the presence of sulphur itself to be confused with some precipitate of sulphur. However the liquid was left at rest for one hour; at the end of this time the precipitate had not clotted. In any event, the precipiate, because of its colour, could only be confused with sulphur of arsenic. The liquid was filtered and the precipiate washed with distilled water, then treated on the filter with distilled water with added ammonia. If this precipitate were due to the presence of arsenic, the ammonia would have dissolved it and mixed with it in the test tube; and then the addition of hydrochloric acid, to saturate the ammonia, would have caused the reappearance of the precipitate. All these steps were carried out with the greatest care but the hydrochoric acid produced no precipitate.
After this experiment I concluded that there was a complete absence of the following substances in the liquid: arsenic, tin, antimony, gold, platinum, lead, mercury, copper, cadmium and bismuth.
The liquid, already filtered, was then supersaturated with ammonia and treated with ammonia sulphydrate. When shaken, and after waiting some time, there was no formation of precipitate nor any reaction whatever.
From which we can conclude the complete absence of nickel, cobalt, iron, zinc, manganese, aluminium, chromium, oxalates and phosphates of barium, strontium, lime, magnesium, aluminium.
At this point in the research, fortified by the negative result which the physical examination had provided, and supported by the negative result of the analysis, we did not fear to experiment on ourselves.
Not having eaten for three hours, we ingested a large soupspoonful of the liquid - this dose did not produce the slightest symptom.
This last experiment leads us to conclude that the liquid, in the amount of one soupspoonful, is not toxic to humans.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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Chris Scott
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lr1lr2
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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 6:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

For any of you that want to check the French of the original article (1st message on this thread)and the reference to "huile de sabine" etc. it is already posted as below:
http://casebook.org/cgi-bin/forum/show.cgi?tpc=4922&post=69263#POST69263
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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 6:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

By the way, in the list of ingredients used by Tumblety, I believe that "cantharides" is the alleged aphrodisiac also known as Spanish Fly!
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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 6:35 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

In the Savin/Sabine debate, this link gives fulls details about Sabibne Oil

http://www.takasago.com/orchid/aboutus/business/aromachem/detail.asp?id=3
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Stephen P. Ryder
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The dictionary definition of "huile de sabine" is indeed "Savin Oil". Considering the poisonous and abortive qualities of savin oil, I think it makes perfect sense in the context of the above article.
Stephen P. Ryder, Editor
Casebook: Jack the Ripper
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Chris Scott
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Posted on Friday, May 23, 2003 - 7:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostView Post/Check IPPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Thanks Spry:-)
Im working on the translation of second part and will include all in the press articles I'll be sending you
Chris
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Chris Scott
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Here's the translation of the 2nd part of Larue's report on Tumblety's medicines. I'll post the French original next:

Le Courrier du Canada 6 November 1857

Legal Medicine

(Continuation of the report of Mr. Larue)

8 October 1857.

A sample of the original liquid, the colour having again been removed with chlorine, was divided into two psrts: the first, to which was added ammonia and ammonium carbonate, was treated with sodium phosphate. After being vigorously stirred, no precipitate formed and there was no reaction after half an hour. Therefore, an absence of magnesium.
The second part of the liquid produced no precipitate when treated with platinum bichlorate. Therefore, an absence of potassium and ammonia.
Not having any potassium antimoniate to hand, the examinaition for sodium did not proceed.
Marsh apparatus produced no colouration whatever.

EXAMINATION FOR ACIDS.
The liquid had removed from it ammonium sulphydrate and hydrogen sulphide by theuse of bismuth hydrate, was then filtered and made neutral in two "tournesols" with acetic acid and ammonia.
One part of the liquid was then treated with barium chloride - no precipitate.
Thus there is an absence of the following acids: sulphuric, phosphoric, hydrofluoric and oxalic.
The absence of hydrochloric and hydrocyanic acids etc. has already been noted.
The absence of carbonic and hydrosulphuric acids etc. had already been noted at the beginning of these experiments by the addition of hydrochloric acid.
Having saturated a sample of the original liquid with sodium carbonate and evaporated this to the point of dryness, we took a prtion of the residue and placed this in a test tube with copper filings and some drops of pure sulphuric acid. This whole mass, brought to boiling point, gave off no odour of hypoazotic vapour, no orange colouration appeared and some grains of morphine, when exposed to the vapour from the tube, did not change colour; therefore, an absence of nitric acid.
These experiments, therefore, allow us to conclude, as we do, an absence in the liquid of all minerals and all acids which the examination was deigned to detect.


THE PILLS: CHEMICAL ANALYSIS.
We again verified the purity of our reagents.
In a porcelain bowl, previously washed with distilled water, we placed four pills, which were crushed and to which was added pure, concentrated sulphuric acid. The whole mass was heated, being continually stirred with a glass rod. Heated to the point where all vapour had been given off. The carbon deposited in the bowl, taken up in boiling distilled water, was subjected to the same type of testing as that used on the liquid: no trace of metals was noted therein.
When saturated with ammonia and treated with a moderate quantity of ammonium sulphydrate, a plentiful black precipitate was formed. The following metals were detected in the precipitate: nickel, cobalt, iron, zinc, manganese, chromium, aluminium and also phosphates and oxalates. Although the quantity of precipitate was plentiful in relation to the amount of the liquid used, it was too little to allow a detailed analysis of all subctances present. However, the black colouration of the precipitate could only be due to the presence of iron, cobalt and nickel. But the fact that it dissolved rapidly in hydrochloric acid served to demonstrate the definite presence of iron.
The liquid was filtered, hydrochloric acid added, then heated to boiling point; it was then neutralised with ammonia, treated with ammonium carbonate and gently heated. A light cloudiness ("louche") became visible. Left arest for half an hour, this cloudiness increased, very probably due to the presence of lime which occurs in a large number of organic compounds.

CONTROL OF THESE TWO EXPERIMENTS.
So that no doubt could be cast on this report by the accidental introduction of extraneous matter in the course of the lengthy procedures, the foregoing analysis had to be controlled and so it was performed again.
Two and a half pills, divided with a platinum knife, were placed into a porcelain bowl which had been washed in distilled water. Sulphuric acid was added to this matter and again burned. The mixture was stirred the whole time with a glass rod which was perfectly clean. Heated, to the point where vapours had been given off, the carbonised mass was pulverised in the bowl with an agate pestle and was burned. Treated twice with pure hydrochloric acid, the liquid was divided into two parts. When ammonia was tipped into the first part, a yellowish precipitate was formed. The addition of ammonia sulphydrate formed the same black precipitate which displayed the same characteristics as in the first experiment and demonstrated again the presence of iron.
The liquid, when filtered and treated as already discussed, produced this same cloudiness, very pobably due to the presence of lime, of whiuch we have already spoken.
When the liquid was heated, filtered, treated with sodium phosphate, a very visible cloudiness resulted. Therefore, magnesium was present. It is normal for pills to be rolled in magnesium carbonate after they are made.
The liquid was filtered, evaporated to dryness and heated to red heat. The residue was dissolved in distilled water, boiled with a light infusion of barium water and filtered. Treated with a light amount of dilute sulphuric acid, heated to boiling point, filtered, evaporated to dryness: the residue, taken up in a small quantity of water, produced no precipitate when treated with platinum bichlorate; therefore, an absence of potassium.

TESTING FOR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES.
When the analysis for inorganic substances had been done, it remained to test for and identify organic substances. In similar circumstances, usually the expert could assess the effects of poison (symptoms and tissue lesions) and moreover, he could gather from nature verious samples of the substance used which immediately gives him a very strong suspicion about the nature of the substances. In these circumstances, and when there is available an appropriate amount of the substances, analysis is possible, although presenting some difficulties; and the result of the chemical analysis, combined with the physical characteristics and the effects, can give almost complete certainty.
Here, the pills and the liquid being mixtures in nature, giving no recognisable sign of the substances used (leaves, roots, insect remains etc.); moreover, the taste, the colour, the smell of these substances giving no specific character (apart perhaps from the capsicum); and, besides, as there had been no effects as no one had taken these medicines, it followed that chemical analysis alone would be able to thrown light on the question and this analysis naturally involved methodical and detilaed research on all the organic substances. Work which is possible on inorganic substances is hardly available with the present state of science for organic substances. It is quite true that a general method was proposed by M. Stas in 1845, a method that was followed by Messrs. Orfila, Devergie, Chevalier. Lassaigne etc. But in most cases only an impure substance was obtainable which was impossible to characterise physically, even checmically, and one had to be satisfied with various imperfect reations. But even assuming this work had been done, even supposing that one had been able to obtain a subtance in a state of reasonable purity, to allow the use of reagents even in these favourable circumstances, chemical analysis alone would only have been able to give cause for a slight suspicion. The reactions which occur in contact with the majority of these organic substances and their reagents, are far from being characteristic. The colour changes etc., which occur between substances and their reagents. these same changes, I state, very often happen also between these reagents and other organic substances.
"If one wanted our whole opinion, "said M. Galtuier, "we would place more confidence in the physical characteristics of substances under investigation viz. smell, colour, taste etc. than in checmical reactions such as are used in the present state of science."

GENERAL CONCLUSIONS:
From all these researches, the results are:
1) That the physical examination of the liquid gave us no indication of the nature of the substances that it contains.
2) That the physical and microscopic examination of the pills allowed us to assume the very likely presence of cayenne pepper.
3) That chemical analysis demonstrated the total absence of mineral substances in the liquid.
4) That chemical analysis of the pills demonstrated the presence of iron in fairly large quantities, of magnesium and traces of lime.
5) That the discovery by chemical analysis of the organic substances contained in the mixtures under analysis, is impossible in the present circumstances and in the present state of sciance.

Signed F.A.H.LARUE
Licenciate of Medicine, Professor etc.

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Chris Scott
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