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48
paper, and found those parts strongly charged with alkali. I found
the discolored thigh also had been imbued with alkali, and stained by
the tan. I took portions of skin from the thorax and thigh, and car-
ried them to my laboratory, and ascertained, by chemical analysis,
that the alkali contained to them was potash, mixed with 4 very
little sea-salt.
The skin in several places appeared to have been corroded by the
joint action of potash and heat. The thorax had singed hair on it,
showing the action of fire, and probably of flame, since the burning
was superficial.
I found no alkali in the interior of the thighs, nor in the flesh
beneath the skin of the thorax. The muscles of the cut surfaces at
both ends of the thorax were strongly alkaline.
I observed that the skin near an opening near the sixth and seventh
ribs was quite tender, and the edges of the opening into the thorax
were corroded, as if by potash.
I dissected out the arteries and some of the veins of both thighs
and of the leg, and gave them to Dr. Martin Gay. I subsequently
saw Mr. Richard Crossley in my laboratory, in my presence, examine
a portion of one of these vessels, with the adhering muscle, for arsenic
and zinc, and saw that no trace of those substances was found.
The spots on the walls, floor and furniture, showed us, were com-
mitted to Dr. Jeffries Wyman, who cut out chips from them in my
presence. A pair of slippers were submitted to us by the officers, and
Dr. Jeffries Wyman cut pieces off from them in my presence, and
took them away with him. Dr. Martin Gay took portions of the
cinders and metals for examination, and his results shoyld be com-
pared with mine, in order to ascertain how much gold was found
among the cinders.
Attest,
J. L. ANDREWS.
I was instructed, by the Attorney General, on the occasion of the
presentment of the Grand Jury, to take possession of those articles
found at the Medical College, which were left with Dr. Gay. Went
to his house, and got them. Took them to Mr. Crossley. (Had made
a previous examination of them with Dr. Gay, and turned them over
to him for further examination.) Mr. Crossley is in my employment,
and occupies a part of my laboratory. My test, as to whether there
was alkali in the body, was satisfactory to me. The action of potash
on the human body softens the flesh, and dissolves it after a while; and
when heat is applied, it dissolves it very rapidly. With#uitable
apparatus, the time taken to dissolve a human body with potash would
depend upon circumstances; if it were cut up in pieces and boiled,
the flesh would dissolve in two or three hours. For this, it would take
of potash nearly half the weight of the body; and if the whole were
done at a time, a very large kettle. To dissolve Dr. Parkman
entirely, (he weighing about 140 pounds,) it would take about
seventy pounds of potash. Examined Dr. Webster's laboratory. The
largest kettle that was there was ~a tin boiler, with a thick copper
bottom, such as is used in boiling clothes. If the body was cut up in
pieces, it would have been adequate to dissolve it; but it would not
hold the whole body, or the thorax.
CHA$LES T. JACKSON.
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