In cases such as those now described death often occurs about twenty-four hours after the poison is swallowed, and generally before the close of the third day. But on the one hand life has been sometimes prolonged, without the supervention of the symptoms belonging to a different variety of cases, for five or six days,[627] nay perhaps even for several weeks. And, on the other hand, the symptoms of irritation of the alimentary canal are sometimes distinct, although death takes place in a much shorter period than twenty-four hours. Metzger has related a striking case, fatal in six hours, in which the symptoms were acute colic pain, violent vomiting, and profuse diarrhœa;[628] and Wildberg has related a similar case fatal in the same time.[629] Hohnbaum describes another fatal in five hours;[630] and I met with as brief a case in this city in 1843, where all the usual symptoms of irritation in the stomach and bowels were violent. These symptoms were also present at first in Mr. Stallard’s case, which was fatal in four hours; Pyl has recorded one, where all the signs of irritation in the stomach and intestines were present, except vomiting, and which proved fatal in three hours;[631] and Dr. Dymock met here with a similar instance which lasted only two hours and a half.[632] This is one of the shortest undoubted cases of poisoning from arsenic I have hitherto found in authentic records. Dr. Male mentions one, which was fatal in four hours;[633] Wepfer another equally short;[634] Johnston another fatal in three hours and a half;[635] and I shall presently mention others without symptoms of irritation which ended fatally in two, five, or six hours [p. 242].[636] Wibmer has even quoted a case fatal in half an hour; but there seems to have been some doubt whether the poison taken was arsenic.[637]