SUICIDE. Ages, 5-15 15-25 25-65 65 and Total above Males, ... 2 73 8 83 Females, 1 8 42 65 116 --------------------------------------- Totals, 1 10 115 73 199 --------------------------------------- In 1889 a solitary case of the murder of a child is on record from hydrochloric acid; hence, with that addition, the total deaths from hydrochloric acid amount to 266 in the ten years, or about 26 a year. § 70. =Fatal Dose.=--The dose which destroys life is not known with any accuracy. In two cases, adults have been killed by 14 grms. (half an ounce) of the commercial acid; but, on the other hand, recovery is recorded when more than double this quantity has been taken. A girl, fifteen years of age, died from drinking a teaspoonful of the acid.[85] [85] _Brit. Med. Journ._, March, 1871. § 71. =Amount of Free Acid in the Gastric Juice.=--Hydrochloric acid exists in the gastric juice. This was first ascertained by Prout[86] in 1824; he separated it by distillation. The observation was afterwards confirmed by Gmelin,[87] Children,[88] and Braconnot.[89] On the other hand, Lehmann[90] pointed out that, as the stomach secretion contained, without doubt, lactic acid, the act of distillation, in the presence of this lactic acid, would set free hydrochloric acid from any alkaline chlorides. Blondlot and Cl. Bernard also showed that the gastric juice possessed no acid which would dissolve oxalate of lime, or develop hydrogen when treated with iron filings; hence there could not be free hydrochloric acid which, even in a diluted state, would respond to both these tests. Then followed the researches of C. Schmidt,[91] who showed that the gastric secretion of men, of sheep, and of dogs contained more hydrochloric acid than would satisfy the bases present; and he propounded the view that the gastric juice does not contain absolutely free hydrochloric acid, but that it is in loose combination with the pepsin. [86] _Philosophical Transactions_, 1824, p. 45. [87] P. Tiedmann and L. Gmelin, _Die Verdauung nach Versuchen_, Heidelberg u. Leipsic, 1826, i. [88] _Annals of Philosophy_, July, 1824. [89] _Ann. de Chim._ t. lix. p. 348. [90] _Journal f. prakt. Chemie_, Bd. xl. 47. [91] Bidder u. Schmidt, _Verdauungs-Säfte_, &c.