CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 229 



common corn, rye and potato whisky, death began to occur, even 

 when the utmost care was taken in its administration. 



From these data, it might justly be inferred that some poisonous 

 matter exists in the cheap chloroform of commerce, and I suspected 

 that it arose from the fusel oil which exists in the whisk}'. Having 

 succeeded in procuring some very pure fusel oil, (of whisky,) I 

 undertook the researches which have resulted in the conviction that 

 it is the amyle compound that produces the poisonous matter of certain 

 kinds of chloroform. When mixed with hypochlorite of lime 

 (bleaching powder) and water in the same way as we prepare alcohol 

 for the production and distillation of chloroform, I found that the 

 mixture in the retort, after agitation and standing some time, became 

 warm, indicating that a reaction was taking place between the fusel 

 oil and the hypochlorite of lime. 



After some hours the retort was placed in a water bath, and distil- 

 lation was eifected, the volatized liquid being copdensed by means of 

 one of Liebig's condensers. A clear colorless liquid came over, which 

 was at once recognized as having the peculiar odor of bd chloroform. 

 It is perhaps a ter-chloride of amyle, but has not yet been submitted 

 to analysis. It is so powerful that merely smelling of it makes one 

 dizzy. In order to make sure that the fusel oil was all decomposed, I 

 aa-ain mixed the product of distillation above mentioned, with a new 

 lot of bleaching powder and water ; and after three hours, with 

 frequent agitation, it was again distilled, and gave what I regard as 

 the pure unmixed poison. 



If my views are correct, it follows : 



1. That all chloroform intended for inhalation as anaesthetic agent, 

 should be prepared from pure rectified alcohol, to be diluted with 

 water when used for distillation from hypochlorite of lime. 



2. That no druggist should sell for anaesthetic uses, any chloroform 

 which is not known to have been properly prepared as above 

 suggested. 



3. That the mixture of chloroform and alcohol, commercially 

 known under the name of strong chloric ether, must be made with 

 the same precaution as chloroform. 



The following experiments were subsequently made by Dr. Jackson, 

 which conclusively prove the poisonous effects of fusel oil when 

 mixed with chloroform : A full grown rat, confined in a quart glass 

 jar, inhaled the vapor of the fusel oil compound 40 minutes without 

 any apparent injury. 



A kitten seven days old inhaled the vapor of this compound nine- 

 teen minutes, without apparent effect. 



Three kittens, of the same litter, were confined in three separate 

 vessels, also saturated with this vapor, thirty-three minutes, and when 

 released appeared as unharmed as a fourth kitten, of the same litter, 

 confined in a similar vessel supplied with atmospheric air. 



A person inhaled this vapor, twelve minutes without any effect. 



The rat, of the above mentioned experiment, was then exposed to 

 the mixed vapors of chloroform and of the fusel oil compound. In 



