THE ANALYST. 315 NARROW ESCAPE OF A LABORATORY STAFF. A DELIBERATE attempt was made some months since to poison the entire staff of one of the most important of Public Departments, the Government Laboratory at Demerara, and it is clear that but for a succession of fortunate circumstances the design would have succeeded. For some time past a person had been lurking about the laboratory, and on two occasions at least the premises had been illegally entered. On Friday, June 1, a quantity of spirits submitted for analysis was stolen, and although the police at Broad Street Station, a few yards distant from the institution, were instructed to keep a special watch, the thief W&B not again seen near the laboratory. Just after that date Professor Harrison, the head of the department, was incapacitated316 THE ANALYST, for two or three days by a mysterious illness, and there is little doubt that he was then suffering from arsenic poisoning.I t would appear that the miscreant again entered the laboratory on the following Wednesday night. A false key was evidently used, nothing being broken or forced at doors or windows. Samples were tampered with, and this fact was immediately reported to the Government on Thursday by Professor Harrison. In the afternoon the Professor, after drinking several glasses of water, was almost overcome with a severe headache. Feeling giddy and unfit for work, he left the office earlier than usual. Though far from well the director was able to attend his office on Friday, but after again partaking of the water he had a renewal of his severe illness, and was compelled to return home.On Saturday Professor Harrison was unable to leave his bed, and on the following day his condition was so alarming that medical aid was summoned. The assistants a t the laboratory were seized with similar distressing symptoms, though, fortunately, their illness did not take the same serious turn Mr. P. V. Garraway, the second assistant analyst, Mr. Christiani, the director’s clerical assistant, Mr. Matthews, the fourth clerical assistant, and the messenger, Tambi, were all affected in more or less degree. The director was quite unable to leave his house on Monday, and the work of the department was carried on by those of his juniors, who made their appearance at the laboratory every morning-all victims of the same disorder, but never sus- pecting its origin.While the assistants were discussing the strange circumstances that every member of the staff were affected, it occurred to Mr. Garraway that the trouble might be due to lead-poisoning. The drinking water taken from the filter was subjected to a rough analytical test. Cursory though the examination was, it led to the discovery that arsenic had been placed in the water, Mr. Garraway lost no time in inspecting the filter. At the top was found this substance, in quantity suffi- cient to poison hundreds of people. The director was communicated with, and realizing the grave import of the news, he ordered that a careful analysis be made of the water. This was done without delay by Mr. E. W.F. English and IIr. Garraway. The water was seen to be heavily charged with arsenic, which, placed in the filter presumably between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, had been slowly but gradually poisoning the drinking supply at the laboratory. Happily arsenic is an extremely insoluble substance. To this fact and to the providential discovery of the poisoned source is due the escape of Professor Harrison and his assistants, who for several days ran exceedingly narrow risks of a terrible death. On further investigation it transpired that the poisoner, with double designs on the Professors, had actually entered that gentleman’s office and dropped arsenic into the ice-pitcher kept for the director’s own use. Hence the reason why the Professor was taken ill so suddenly, and at an earlier stage than Mr. Garraway and the others. For the first time since its institution, the laboratory had to be closed without notice, ’the entire staff having been rendered unfit for duty. Professor Harrison, the shock to whose system has been severe, is invalided home to England. He was very ill that night.