every body else, had a pious respect for St. Nicholas de Barri and
his wonderful oil.

The poison was similar to that manufactured by La Spara. Hahnemann the
physician, and father of the homoeopathic doctrine, writing upon this
subject, says it was compounded of arsenical neutral salts, occasioning in
the victim a gradual loss of appetite, faintness, gnawing pains in the
stomach, loss of strength, and wasting of the lungs. The Abbe Gagliardi
says, that a few drops of it were generally poured into tea, chocolate, or
soup, and its effects were slow, and almost imperceptible. Garelli,
physician to the Emperor of Austria, in a letter to Hoffmann, says it was
crystallised arsenic, dissolved in a large quantity of water by decoction,
with the addition (for some unexplained purpose) of the herb _cymbalaria_.
The Neapolitans called it _Aqua Toffnina_; and it became notorious all
over Europe under the name of _Aqua Tophania_.

Although this woman carried on her infamous traffic so extensively, it was
extremely difficult to meet with her. She lived in continual dread of
discovery. She constantly changed her name and residence; and pretending
to be a person of great godliness, resided in monasteries for months
together. Whenever she was more than usually apprehensive of detection she
sought ecclesiastical protection. She was soon apprised of the search made
for her by the Viceroy of Naples, and, according to her practice, took
refuge in a monastery. Either the search after her was not very rigid, or
her measures were exceedingly well taken; for she contrived to elude the
vigilance of the authorities for several years. What is still more
extraordinary, as shewing the ramifications of her system, her trade was
still carried on to as great an extent as before. Lebat informs us that
she had so great a sympathy for poor wives who hated their husbands and
wanted to get rid of them, but could not afford to buy her wonderful
_aqua_, that she made them presents of it.

She was not allowed, however, to play at this game for ever; she was at
length discovered in a nunnery, and her retreat cut off. The viceroy made
several representations to the superior to deliver her up, but without
effect. The abbess, supported by the archbishop of the diocese, constantly
refused. The public curiosity was in consequence so much excited at the
additional importance thus thrust upon the criminal, that thousands of
persons visited the nunnery in order to cat