"And the cat?" added Craig.
Doctor Nott produced it in a covered basket.
Quickly Kennedy drew off a little of the blood of the cat and
held it up to the light along with the human samples. The
difference was apparent.
"You see," he explained, "carbon monoxide combines firmly with
the blood, destroying the red colouring matter of the red
corpuscles. No, Doctor, I'm afraid it wasn't carbonic oxide that
killed the lovers, although it certainly killed the cat."
Doctor Nott was crestfallen, but still unconvinced. "If my whole
medical reputation were at stake," he repeated, "I should still
be compelled to swear to asphyxia. I've seen it too often, to
make a mistake. Carbonic oxide or not, Templeton and Miss
Wainwright were asphyxiated."
It was now Whitney's chance to air his theory.
"I have always inclined toward the cyanide-of-potassium theory,
either that it was administered in a drink or perhaps injected by
a needle," he said. "One of the chemists has reported that there
was a possibility of slight traces of cyanide in the mouths."
"If it had been cyanide," replied Craig, looking reflectively at
the two jars before him on the table, "these blood specimens
would be blue in colour and clotted. But they are not. Then, too,
there is a substance in the saliva which is used in the process
of digestion.
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