startling proposition was first advanced by M. Couerbe, and by Professor
Orfila soon afterwards.[545] The latter subsequently stated, that it
exists only in the bones, and not in any of the soft solids.[546] It is
now clear, however, that both of these experimentalists must have
committed an error. Orfila himself admits that his early researches are
vitiated by the subsequent discovery of arsenic in some kinds of
sulphuric acid;[547] and all recent attempts by others to obtain his
results have failed. Thus MM. Flandin and Danger could not detect
arsenic in any part of the human body, when it had not been
administered:[548] Pfaff was unable to detect an atom of it in the bones
of man or the lower animals by Orfila’s own process:[549] Dr. Rees was
equally unsuccessful:[550] and in 1841 a committee of the French
Institute, who superintended the performance of an analysis in three
cases by Orfila, reported that he failed in every instance to find a
trace of arsenic, by a process which could detect a 65th part of a grain
intentionally mixed with an avoirdupois pound of bones.[551]
There is the strongest possible presumption, therefore, that human bones
never contain any arsenic. And besides, supposing they did, the source
of fallacy would be utterly insignificant; for, when it becomes
necessary to search for arsenic absorbed into the textures of the body,
it is never necessary to have recourse to the bones.