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days of inquests and analytical chemistry without instantlyexciting suspicion, and leading to the detection of the criminal.Strychnia produces tetanic convulsions; tartar-emetic, purgingand vomiting, with constant nausea; opium leads to coma ;the mineral aci.ls to destruction of the membranes lining themouth and gullet. In truth, it may be said that of all the longlist of lethal agents, there is perhaps only one so chronic in itseffects, so tasteless. so easily confounded with symptoms ofdisease, as to be in any degree a safe agent for the secretpoisoner. Tuis is arsenic. Arsenic is the chosen agent of themalignant wretch who seeks to destroy his victims slowly andimperceptibly, and to confound his hellish arts with the insidiousworkings of disease. It is, then, important to note that chronicpoisoning by arsenic is accompanied by certain symptoms whichcaa hardly fail to betray the workings of the drug to the eyeof one who is on his guard. These symptoms are : early inflam-mation of the mucous membranes, especially of the eye; itchingof the eyelids, nostrils, and cutaneous surface ; scaly eruptionson the body ; loss of hair and nails. More or less, these arethe symptoms which accompany the diarrhoea and ulceration ofthe bowel by which gradual emaciation and death are broughtabout. These are cases in which poisoning simulates Englishcholera, and Dr. Taylor owes it to the profession and the publicto give further details on this subject. Forewarned is fore-armed. Let those toxicologists whose experience leads themto believe that secret poisoning is prevalent, in whatever de-gree, point out the weapons of the poisoner, and succinctlytrace the signs by which his unholy arts may be detected

during kfe.The case of Catherine Wilson does, indeed, suggest another

dreadful phase of poisoning against which it is more difficultto take precautions. Her implements of destruction seem tohave been cunningly forged from the medicines destined tobring health. Like Canidia, she added herbs of a peculiarlyinsidious character :

" Herbas quas Colecs atque IberiaMittit, vcnenorum ferax."

This is a matter which must to the medical profession sug-gest an unremitting vigilance. Where disease exists, the ad-ministration of medicines opens to the domestic poisoner a newavenue of crime. But this, too, might be blocked by vigilance.It is a cliannel grooved by recent criminals. Henceforth that ’,

path will be more dangerous, for every medical man will feelthe necessity of watching with lynx-lihe sharpness cases wheresymptoms are aggravated by the remedies which should soothethem. This is the key to the detection of the nurse whomingles poison in the draught.

MARRIAGES OF CONSANGUINITY.

IT is something of a reproach to our physiologists that, afterso much discussion, we are still in want of absolute evidence asto the effects of marriage of consanguinity upon the offspring.The charges brought against it are understood to include itstendency to favour sterility, idiocy, insanity, deafness, de-

formity, and scrofula,. These have been accredited as observedand confirmed by popular opinion and general belief. Some

special instances have been adcluced, especially by Dr. Bemiss,and 1-9,1,ely by Dr. Devay and other French physicians, whichseem to prove, from the statistics of asylums, and the observedconditions of certain races, that physical defects are engenderedand propagated by such marriages.The question has lately been referred to a committee of the

French Academy ; but we have little faith in the power of acommittee to go beyond collecting the existing facts known toindividuals. As a rule, the reports of committees upon ques-tions involving original research are waste paper. Little know-

ledge of human nature is required to explain why they shouldbe so. An investigator working solely at a question of sciencehas always the inspiriting conviction that his efforts will ulti-

mately be recorded to his honour and in his own name, should he

succeed in solving the problem which he proposes to himself.The contribution of original thought and labour to the work ofa committee is an act of sacrifice; for whatever is achieved ispassed to the credit of the whole number, and each man’s workis anonymous. This is only one of the many reasons why thelabour of committees is usually barren in original results,however useful in testing moot points. Those of the com-mittee of the French Academy are not likely to be exceptionalin this case : we mast look to the work of independent in-quirers for new matter.

Dr. Child, of Oxford, has shown an intention of entering thefield. We have already noticed a paper by this author on thesubject. Recently at the British Association he renewed the

expression of his conviction that such marriages are not in-

jurious. His argument is mainly founded upon well-knownfacts in the breeding of domestic animals. In answer to thestatistical objections founded on observations of the humanrace, he replies that in this matter such statistics are pecu-liarly inapplicable." We do not apprehend why they shouldbe; on the contrary, at present we look with anxiety and in-terest to a further application of statistics, and to more extendedand accurate inquiries founded on fresh statistical data. The

argument from the successful results of in-and-in breeding inthe production of specific varieties of oxen and horses appearsto us by no means ca,pable of that extended series of inferenceswhich Dr. Child and others deduce from it. Undoubtedlybreeds may be specifically varied by constant attention to in-

and-in breeding. The careful selection of animals for suchclose breeding is followed by important results in altering therelative quantities of bone, muscle, and fat ; in modifyingshape, and varying the integumentary and other characters.Thus what are technically called the " finest" breeds are pre-served by continuing for some time the same strain of blood;but there is obviously a source of fallacy in comparing the resultsthus attained, and even the manner of attaining them, withthe ordinary conditions under which marriages of consanguinityare contracted. If the finest offspring of certain relatives, freefrom defect, were paired-if their children were again weeded,and the strongest married,—we should produce a breed inwhich would be evinced the best qualities of the race selected.We might get a race of six-feet men, or of five-fingered men,or of black-hairell men. It would still remain to see whether

they were less liable to disease or longer-lived. We believethat the opposite would be the result. Close breeding in ani-mals will for several generations perpetuate fine points, butpresently it leads to vital degeneracy. This is the matter towhich we would direct the attention of observers. The im-

provement of shape by selection has, we think, been erroneouslysupposed to throw light upon the question at issue.

THE MEDICAL SOCIETIES.

ON the Ist of October the session of the Medical Societies

may be said to have commenced with a meeting of the Obstet-rical Society, one of the most active and flourishing in themetropolis. On Monday last the Medical Society of Londonresumed its sittings; a report of the proceedings of whichwill be found at p. 419. We commend the address of thePresident of the latter Society to the attention of our

readers. At the commencement of the session it may bewell to observe that a serious evil exists in some of the more

important societies by the ’withholding of papers and cases onthe part of the authors until it is too late in the session to readthem in full and to discuss their merits. For several yearspast there has been a most meagre supply of papers for theearlier meetings of the Medical and Chirurgical Society, whilethe later have been so overwhelmed with material that therehas been only time to read brief abstracts or merely thetitles. It is needless to say that the value of a paper is bythis means much injured, and discussion-a most importantpart of the proceedings-effectually prevented.