" F.R.C.S." publishes an unpleasant hint in the Times. He
says that he recently mentioned a case which had come before him, in which he felt certain that the patient had been poisoned. An eminent London physician present imme- diately mentioned another case within his own experience ; while a third guest (also medical) gave a third illustration. There are 18,000 medical practitioners in England, and ".F.R.C.S." believes that the majority could relate similar stories. As the medical men speak from the experiences of entire lives, or, say, thirty-six years, this would mean that 500 cases of poisoning occur every year in England, the majority of which remain undetected. That is rather a gossiping way .of arriving at such statistics. It is, at least, equally possible that one ordinary doctor in every two never met a case of poison- ing, and that half of the remainder were cases of suicide, unsuccessful attempts at self-murder being undoubtedly very common. Those deductions would leave the average about one hundred and twenty-five a yearovhich, if we include all attempts to injure by drugs among poisoning cases, is possibly true. The temptation of women under perpetual terror from drunken husbands to " hocus " their liquor must be fearfully strong. The late Dr. Taylor, an experienced toxicologist, undoubtedly held the opinion of the Times' correspondent, and the number of cases revealed is larger than the public supposes. Still, the total is not large, being, as we recently showed, limited by the numerous conditions required. The poisoner must have a motive, must be willing to commit crime in cold blood, must have the drug, and must have opportunity.
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