the alkaloid can be found. The bicarbonates of potash or soda, or these alkalies in a caustic state, are convenient bases for setting the alkaloids at liberty, at the same time keeping them wholly in solution, especially if the alkaloids have been combined with an excess of tartaric or of cxalic acid.

To separate foreign substances, animal or otherwise, from the suspected matters, recourse is commonly had to the tribasic acetate of lead, and precipitating the lead afterwards by a current of sulphuretted hydrogen. As I have several times witnessed, this procedure has many and very serious inconveniences. In the first place, the tribasic acetate of lead, even when used in large excess, comes far short of precipitating all the foreign matters; secondly, the sulphuretted hydrogen, which is used to precipitate the lead, remains in combination with certain organic matters which undergo great changes by the action of the air and of even a moderate heat; so tha animal liquids which have been precipitated by the tribasic acetate of lead, and from which the lead has been separated afterwards by hydrosulphuric acid, colour rapidly on exposure to the air, and exhale at the same time a putrid odour, which adheres firmly to the matters which we extract afterwards from these liquids. The use of a salt of lead presents another inconvenience, viz., the introduction of foreign metals into the suspected matters, so that that portion of the suspected substance is rendered unfit for testing for mineral substances. The successive and combined use of water and alcohol at different states of concentration, permits us to search for mineral substances, whatever be their nature, so that in this way nothing is compromised, which is of immense advantage when the analyst does not know what poison he is to look for.

It is hardly necessary to say, that in medico-legal researches for the alkaloids, we ought never to use animal charcoal for decolourizing the liquids, because we may lose all the alkaloid in the suspected matters. It is generally known that animal charcoal absorbs these substances at the same time that it fixes the colouring and odoriferous matters.

[This is no doubt true; we must not use animal charcoal to decolourize, and then look for the alkaloid in the liquid, but we may use it, at least in the case of strychnia and some of the non-volatile alkaloids, to separate them, and then we look for them in the charcoal. See notice of Graham and Hofmann's Process for Detecting Strychnia: Monthly Journal, August, 1852, p. 140; Pharmaceutical Journal, vol. xi., p. 504, May, 1852.]

The above observations do not proceed from speculative ideas only, but are the result of a pretty long series of experiments which I have several times employed for discovering these organic alkaloids. To put in practice the principles which I have thus explained, the following is the method in which I propose to set about such an analysis: I suppose that we wish to look for an alkaloid in the contents of the stomach or intestines; we commence by adding to these matters twice their weight of pure and very strong alcohol;* we add afterwards, according to the quantity and nature of the suspected matter, from ten to thirty grains of tartaric or oxalic acidin preference tartaric; we introduce the mixture into a flask, and heat it to 160° or 170° Fahrenheit. After it has completely cooled it is to be filtered, the insoluble residue washed with strong alcohol, and the filtered liquid evaporated in vacuo. If the operator has not an air-pump, the liquid is to be exposed to a strong current of air at a temperature of not more than 90° Fahrenheit. If, after the volatilization of the alcohol, the residue contains fatty or other insoluble matters, the liquid is to be filtered a second time, and then the filtrate and washings of the filter evaporated in the air-pump till nearly dry. If we have no air-pump, it is to be placed under a bell-jar over a vessel containing concentrated sulphuric acid. We are then to treat the residue with cold anhydrous alcohol, taking care to exhaust the substance thoroughly; we evaporate the alcohol in the open air at the ordinary temperature, or still better, in vacuo; we now dissolve the acid residue in the smallest possible quantity of water, and introduce the solution into a small test-tube, and add little by little pure powdered bicarbonate of soda or potash, till a fresh quantity produces no further effervescence of carbonic acid. We then agitate the whole with four or five

When we wish to look for an alkaloid in the tissue of an organ, as the liver, heart, or lungs, we must first divide the organ into very small fragments, moisten the mass with pure strong alcohol, then express strongly, and by further treatment with alcohol exhaust the tissue of everything soluble. The liquid so obtained, is to be treated in the same way as a mixture of suspected matter and alcohol.

times its bulk of pure ether, and leave it to settle. When the ether swimming on the top is perfectly clear, then decant some of it into a capsule, and leave it in a very dry place to spontaneous evaporation.

Now, two orders of things may present themselves; either the alkaloid contained in the suspected matter is liquid and volatile, or solid and fixed. I shall now consider these two hypotheses.

Examination for a Liquid and Volatile Alkali.

We suppose there exists a liquid and volatile alkaloid. In such a case, by the evaporation of the ether, there remains in the inside of the capsule some small liquid striæ which fall to the bottom of the vessel. In this case, under the influence of the heat of the hand, the contents of the capsule exhale an odour more or less disagreeable, which becomes, according to the nature of the alkaloid, more or less pungent, suffocating, irritant; it presents, in short, a smell like that of a volatile alkali masked by an animal odour. If we discover any traces of the presence of a volatile alkaloid, we add then to the contents of the vessel, from which we have decanted a small quantity of ether, one or two fluid drachms of a strong solution of caustic potash or soda, and agitate the mixture. After a sufficient time, we draw off the ether into a test-tube; we exhaust the mixture by two or three treatments with ether, and unite all the ethereal fluids. We pour afterwards into this ether, holding the alkaloid in solution, one or two drachms of water, acidulated with a fifth part of its weight of pure sulphuric acid, agitate it for some time, leave it to settle, pour off the ether swimming on the top, and wash the acid liquid at the bottom with a new quantity of ether. As the sulphates of ammonia, of nicotine, aniline, quinoleine, picoline, and petinine, are entirely insoluble in ether, the water acidulated with sulphuric acid contains the alkaloid in a small bulk, and in the state of a pure sulphate; but as the sulphate of conia is soluble in ether, the ether may contain a small quantity of this alkali, but the greater part remains in the acidulated watery solution. The ether, on the other hand, retains all the animal matters which it has taken from the alkaline solutions. If it on spontaneous evaporation leaves a small quantity of a feebly-coloured yellowish residue, of a repulsive animal odour, mixed with a certain quantity of sulphate of conine, this alkaloid exists in the suspected matter under analysis. To extract the alkaloid from the solution of the acid sulphate, we add to the latter an aqueous and concentrated solution of potash or caustic soda, we agitate and exhaust the mixture with pure ether; the ether dissolves ammonia, and the alkaloid is now free. We expose the ethereal solution at the lowest possible temperature to spontaneous evaporation; almost all the ammonia volatilizes with the ether, whilst the alkaloid remains as residue. To eliminate the last traces of ammonia, we place for a few minutes the vessel containing the alkaloid in a vacuum over sulphuric acid, and obtain the organic alkaloid with the chemical and physical characters which belong to it, and which it is now the Chemist's duty to determine positively.

I applied, on the 3d March, 1851, the process which I have described, to the detection of nicotine in the blood from the heart of a dog poisoned by two cubic centimetres [0.78 C.I.] of nicotine introduced into the œsophagus, and I was able in a most positive manner to determine the presence of nicotine in the blood. I was able to determine its physical characters, its odour, taste, and alkalinity. I succeeded in obtaining the chloro-platinate of the base perfectly crystallized in quadrilateral rhomboidal prisms of a rather dark yellow colour, and to ascertain their insolubility in alcohol and ether.

I have applied the same process for the detection of conia in a very old tincture of hemlock, which my friend and colleague M. de Hemptinne was so kind as to put at my disposal; and I was equally successful in extracting from the liquid colourless conia, presenting all the physical and chemical properties of this alkali. I was also able to prove that the ether which holds conia in solution, carries off a notable portion of this alkaloid when the solvent is exposed to spontaneous evaporation.

Examination for a Solid and Fixed Alkaloid.

Let us now suppose that the alkali is solid and fixed; in that case, according to the nature of the alkali, it may happen that the evaporation of the ether resulting from the treatment of the acid matter, to which we have added bicarbonate of soda, may leave or not a residue, containing an alkaloid. If it does, we add a solution of

caustic potash or soda to the liquid, and agitate it briskly with ether. This dissolves the vegetable alkaloid, now free and remaining in the solution of potash or soda. In either case, we exhaust the matter with ether. Whatever be the agent which has set the alkaloid free, whether it be the bicarbonate of soda or potash, or caustic soda or potash, it remains, by the evaporation of the ether, on the side of the capsule as a solid body, but more commonly a colourless milky liquid, holding solid matters in suspension. The odour of the substance is animal, disagreeable, but not pungent. It turns litmus paper permanently blue.

When we thus discover a solid alkaloid, the first thing to do is to try and obtain it in a crystalline state, so as to be able to determine its form. Put some drops of alcohol in the capsule which contains the alkaloid, and leave the solution to spontaneous evaporation. It is, however, very rare that the alkaloid obtained by the above process is pure enough to crystallize. Almost always it is soiled by foreign matters. To isolate these substances, some drops of water, feebly acidulated with sulphuric acid, are poured into the capsule, and then moved over its surface, so as to bring it in contact with the matter in the capsule. Generally we observe that the acid water does not moisten the sides of the vessel. The matter which is contained in it separates into two parts, one formed of greasy matter, which remains adherent to the sides the other alkaline, which dissolves and forms an acid sulphate. We cautiously decant the acid liquid, which ought to be limpid and colourless, if the process has been well executed; the capsule is well washed with some drops of acidulated water, added to the first liquid, and the whole is evaporated to threefourths in vacuo, or under a bell-jar over sulphuric acid. We put into the residue a very concentrated solution of pure carbonate of potash, and treat the whole liquid with absolute alcohol. This dissolves the alkaloid, while it leaves untouched the sulphate of potash and excess of carbonate of potash. The evaporation of the alcoholic solution gives us the alkaloid in crystals.

It is now the Chemist's business to determine its properties, to be able to prove its individuality. I have applied the principles which I have just expounded to the detection of morphine, iodine, strychnine, brucine, veratrine, emetine, colchicine, aconitine, atropine, hyoscyamine-and I have succeeded in isolating, without the least difficulty, these different alkalies, previously mixed with foreign matters.

I have thus been able to extract, by this process, morphine from opium, strychnine and brucine from nux vomica, veratrine from extract of veratrum, emetine from extract of ipecacuanha, colchicine from tincture of colchicum, aconitine from an aqueous extract of aconite, hyoscyamine from a very old extract of henbane, and atropine from an equally old tincture of belladonna. Thus it is in all confidence that I submit this process to the consideration of Chemists who undertake medico-legal researches.-Bulletin de l'Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique, tom. vi., No. 2; and Edinburgh Monthly Journal of Medical Science.

ON THE OCCURRENCE OF TRIMETHYLAMIN IN HERRING-PICKLE. TRIMETHYLAMIN forms the principal component among the number of various bases contained in herring-pickle (herring-brine). The basis was identified by Henry Winkle, not only by comparing it with the synthetically obtained trimethylamin, but also by its relation to iodide of methyle, with which it solidified instantaneously into a crystalline mass of tetramethylammoniumiodid.—Annalen d. Chem. und Pharm., Bd. lxxxiii., Hft. 1, p. 116.

DECOMPOSITION OF NITRATE OF SILVER IN PILLS.

BY MR. J. W. ORTON,

Registered Apprentice of the Pharmaceutical Society.

WILL you permit me to call your attention to a fact that recently came under my notice. I need scarcely remark that the practice prevails of prescribing nitrate of silver to be made into pills with crumb of bread. It was while dispensing such a prescription that I observed that the almost immediate effect of bringing these two compounds into contact, was to convert the nitrate into chloride

of silver. This result is to be attributed to the presence (in the bread) of common salt, and the chlorides contained in the water.

What I desire to submit for consideration, is this: Is it or is it not material whether the silver salt be administered as a nitrate instead of a chloride? If this be desirable, should not some substance congenial with nitrate of silver be substituted for bread? For instance, tragacanth powder, and a few drops of distilled water.

Brighton, 35, North Street, Sept. 12, 1852.

[The suggestion is worthy of attention, but the objection to tragacanth is that it becomes very hard and difficult of solution by keeping. When a medical practitioner orders nitrate of silver to be made into pills with bread, he is of course responsible for any decomposition which may ensue.-ED.]

SACCHARIZED HYDRATE OF MAGNESIA.

A PREPARATION under this name has been introduced by Mr. White, of Cork, who describes it as consisting of "pure hydrate of magnesia uncombined with any acid, and in the finest gelatinous state," sweetened with sugar, and flavoured with an aromatic. Each ounce contains a quantity of magnesia equivalent to twenty grains of the carbonate. This is a convenient form in which to administer magnesia, especially to children, as it is not at all disagreeable; and the magnesia being in suspension, there is no sediment.

CASE OF SUPPOSED POISONING BY BATTLEY'S SOLUTION OF

OPIUM, INJECTED INTO THE RECTUM.

ON Saturday, 18th September, an inquest was held by Mr. Wakley, on the body of the Hon. Major Charles R. W. Forester, aged forty-one, who had died at 6, Cavendish Square, early on the morning of Thursday, the 16th, after using an opiate enema, prescribed by Mr. Richard Dawson, of 15, Finsbury Circus. Mr. Clarkson appeared on behalf of Mr. Dawson. The inquiry was not completed, and the inquest was adjourned to the 28th, but from the evidence and what transpired in the room, we learned that the deceased gentleman had for several months been undergoing hydropathic treatment; that he had afterwards put himself under the care of a homeopathic practitioner; and latterly, conceiving himself to be affected with spermatorrhea, had applied for assistance to Mr. or Dr. Dawson, author of a work on that disease, and, as our readers may remember, the subject of encomiums in a pamphlet extensively distributed some years ago by a certain disinterested Mr. Teevan, the victim of a set of unscrupulous quacks, whom he denounces, all to the manifest advantage of Mr. Dawson. It appeared that on the morning preceding his death, after eating a hearty breakfast and being in his usual state of health, Major Forester paid a visit to Mr. Dawson in the city, and when he returned about two hours afterwards he complained of suffering acute pain, the result of an operation he had undergone. He had to be assisted to his bed-room, had a warm hip-bath, and at two o'clock P.M. sent to Messrs. Savory, of Bond Street, with a verbal message requesting them to send thirty grains of Dover's powder, a syringe, and an enema, to be composed according to the following prescription of Mr. Dawson :R Liquor Opii. Sedativ 3ij.

Tinct. Opii. Camphor 3ss.
Mucil. 3ij.

Spir. Camph. 1nxx.

Ft. Enema.

R. D.

Mr. Savory refused to supply the Dover's powder without a written order, but sent the enema prescribed, with a gum-bottle. In less than two hours a written order for fifteen grains of Dover's powder was received, with a request that a fresh

supply of the enema, with a different instrument, should be sent, as the patient had failed in using the gum-bottle. In delivering the fifteen grains of Dover's powder, Mr. Savory cautioned the servant by telling him that the paper contained what was equal to three doses; he also gave him another bottle of the enema and a pewter syringe. The evidence of the wife of the deceased not having been taken, it did not come out clearly at what time part of the Dover's powder was taken, or when the second supply of the injection was used. It was stated by the valet that about eight his master had tea and partook of a muffin, and that a little before nine he was summoned to remove a basin which he supposed to have been used in throwing up the injection. In the bottom of the basin he observed a little of the enema; there was also a small quantity of it in the syringe, and a little had been spilled on the carpet. The servant did not see the deceased after this till eleven o'clock, when he appeared in his ordinary health. He told the servant that they would not have prayers, and that he might go to bed. In less than ten minutes afterwards the bell rang with violence, and the valet was ordered by the deceased's wife to bring immediately the first medical gentleman to be found in the neighbourhood.

Dr. Halley, of Queen Anne Street, reached the house within a few minutes. He found the patient reclining on the sofa, in a profuse perspiration, his eyes closed, breathing tranquil, his countenance pale, and of a slightly leaden hue; when loudly spoken to and shaken, he became partially conscious, but he never spoke; the pupils were in a middle state between dilatation and contraction, and contracted under the influence of a strong light. Dr. Halley was informed that the gentleman had undergone an operation in the forenoon, and the paper containing the Dover's powder was shown, with only a part, estimated to be eight grains, removed from it. Dr. Halley kept bathing the temples and forehead with cold water for above an hour, and gave him brandy and ammonia; the patient gradually became more conscious, but did not speak in reply to questions. Before leaving, Dr. Halley strongly urged the importance of his being instantly sent for, should the sleep become more deep, or any new symptom present itself; and on his reaching home, he put out his stomach-pump with other things, in readiness, in case he should be called. It was not till four hours afterwards, viz., at half-past four, that he was summoned, and on hastily repairing to the house, he found the patient dead. The stomach-pump was used, but no smell of opium was detected in what came away; and there were no signs of returning animation. Dr. Halley was now shown, for the first time, the prescription, above copied, for the enema, and he also found a six-drachm phial, which contained half of the quantity of the injection that had been prescribed, and these he took possession of. The melancholy occurrence having been notified to the coroner, an order was given for a post-mortem examination, and Mr. Shaw, Surgeon to the Middlesex Hospital, was requested to assist Dr. Halley. It may be shortly stated, that throughout the whole body, every organ of which was carefully examined, no morbid lesion was found, except in the urethral orifice of the bladder, where a circular portion of the mucous membrane, the third of an inch in diameter, was converted into a thin dead film or superficial eschar, exactly like the effect of a touch of lunar caustic; a congeries of small blood vessels concentrated round this eschar; the mucous membrane of the trigone was highly vascular, and the same membrane in the bladder generally, was marked with patches of vascular spots; but all the above appearances were manifestly of recent origin, and were presumed to be the consequences of the operation alleged to have been performed on the patient on Wednesday forenoon; the prostate vesiculæ seminales, and urethra were quite sound. The rectum was contracted, the mucous membrane healthy, and in the small quantity of fæces which remained there was no smell of opium. The only abnormal changes met with in the other organs, were from congestion of the blood, which was fluid throughout, except in the inferior vena cava, and in both ventricles of the heart, where small, soft, imperfectly coagulated clots were found; both lungs were much gorged with blood, particularly in their inferior lobes and posteriorly; the brain was but moderately congested; the mucous membrane of the stomach was healthy.

The chief cause of the adjournment of the inquest was said to be the doubt entertained by the coroner, whether so small a quantity of opium as was proved by the evidence to have been taken by the patient could produce death, and instructions were given for a chemical examination to be made. According to the facts stated, it appeared that the deceased gentleman had swallowed eight grains of Dover's powder; it moreover appeared, that in injecting the enema, only half of the