Why do you believe it to be white arsenic?—­For the following reasons:—­(1) This powder has a milky whiteness; so has white arsenic. (2) This is gritty and almost insipid; so is white arsenic. (3) Part of it swims on the surface of cold water, like a pale sulphurous film, but the greatest part sinks to the bottom, and remains there undissolved; the same is true of white arsenic. (4) This thrown on red-hot iron does not flame, but rises entirely in thick white fumes, which have the stench of garlic, and cover cold iron held just over them with white flowers; white arsenic does the same. (5) I boiled 10 grains of this powder in 4 ounces of clean water, and then, passing the decoction through a filter, divided it into five equal parts, which were put into as many glasses—­into one glass I poured a few drops of spirit of sal ammoniac, into another some of the lixivium of tartar, into the third some strong spirit of vitriol, into the fourth some spirit of salt, and into the last some syrup of violets.  The spirit of sal ammoniac threw down a few particles of pale sediment.  The lixivium of tartar gave a white cloud, which hung a little above the middle of the glass.  The spirits of vitriol and salt made a considerable precipitation of lightish coloured substance, which, in the former hardened into glittering crystals, sticking to the sides and bottom of the glass.  Syrup of violets produced a beautiful pale green tincture.  Having washed the sauce pan, funnel, and glasses used in the foregoing experiments very clean, and provided a fresh filter, I boiled 10 grains of white arsenic, bought of Mr. Wilcock, druggist in Reading, in 4 ounces of clean water, and, filtering and dividing it into five equal parts, proceeded with them just as I had done with the former decoctions.  There was an exact similitude between the experiments made on the two decoctions.  They corresponded so nicely in each trial that I declare I never saw any two things in Nature more alike the decoction made with the powder found in Mr. Blandy’s gruel and that made with white arsenic.  From these experiments, and others which I am ready to produce if desired, I believe that powder to be white arsenic.

Did any person make these experiments with you?—­No, but Mr. Wilcock, the druggist, was present while I made them; and he weighed both the powder and the white arsenic.

When did Mr. Blandy first take medicines by your order?—­As soon as he could swallow, on Saturday night, the 10th August.  Before that time he was under the care of Mr. Norton.

[Sidenote:  B. Norton]

BENJAMIN NORTON, examined—­I live at Henley; I remember being sent for to Mrs. Mounteney’s, in Henley, on Thursday, the 8th August, in order to show me the powder.  There was with her Susan Gunnell, the servant maid.  She brought in a pan.  I looked at it and endeavoured to take it out that I might give a better account of it, for as it lay it was not possible to see what it was; then I laid it on white paper and delivered it to Mrs. Mounteney to take care of till it dried.  She kept it till Sunday morning, then I had it to show to Dr. Addington.  I saw the doctor try it once at my house upon a red-hot poker, upon which I did imagine it was of the arsenic kind.