it went by the name of aqueta, or
little-water. On making further inquiry, he ascertained that Tophania
(who was by this time near seventy years of age, and who seems to have
begun her evil courses very soon after the execution of La Spara) sent
large quantities of it to all parts of Italy in small vials, with the
inscription "Manna of St. Nicholas of Barri."

The tomb of St. Nicholas of Barri was celebrated throughout Italy. A
miraculous oil was said to ooze from it, which cured nearly all the
maladies that flesh is heir to, provided the recipient made use of it
with the due degree of faith. La Tophania artfully gave this name to
her poison to elude the vigilance of the custom-house officers, who, in
common with everybody 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 homoepathic 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 crystallized 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 showing the ramifications
of her system, her trade was still carried on