LUEDEKING — POST-MORTEM DETECTION OF CHLOROFORM. 29. 



and, after having been finely minced and rendered slightly alkaline by 

 means of sodium carbonate, were heated over a water-bath in a flask, 

 through which a current of air was slowly passing. The escaping gases 

 were sent through a Bohemian glass tube, which was heated to bright 

 redness over a space of two inches. The iodised starch-paper was five 

 inches distant from this heated portion of the tube, and throughout the 

 experiment remained perfectly cool. 



A very strong bluing of the paper was observed and the nitrate of sil- 

 ver solution was strongly precipitated. 



Experiment II. — Carcass exposed during full summer's heat for ten 

 days. It had then lost all solidity, the hair literally falling off by the 

 slightest abrasion. The lungs were removed and examined as in Experi- 

 ment I. A very decided reaction for chloroform was obtained. 



Experiment III. — Carcass was exposed during full summer's heat for 

 fourteen days ; the lungs then removed and examined as in Experiment 

 I. The reaction for chloroform was very decided. 



Experiment IV. — Carcass placed in an ice-chest for three weeks, and 

 then exposed for ten days during full summer's heat. The lungs were 

 then examined as in Experiment I., and a strong reaction for chloroform- 

 obtained. 



I do not hesitate to say that in winter chloroform could be de- 

 tected without the slightest difficulty for many months after death. 



Experiment V. — Carcass exposed in a room (70° F., very constant) 

 for three weeks and three days. The lungs were then examined as in Ex- 

 periment I., and a ver}' decided reaction for chloroform obtained. 



ExPERiMEiNT VI. — Carcass exposed in a room (70° F., very constant) 

 for four weeks; the lungs examined as in Experiment I., and a decided 

 reaction for chloroform obtained. 



The question now arises whether there cannot be substances 

 formed by the process of decomposition, which, resembling chlo- 

 roform in certain chemical reactions, might therefore lead to erro- 

 neous conclusions. Dr. Ragsky has already partially answered 

 this question experimentally. The author made three experi- 

 ments to this end, which are herewith briefly given : 



Experiment I. — The lungs of a slaughtered bull exposed during full 

 summer's heat for ten days. Not a trace of reaction of chloroform could 

 be obtained by the Ragsky method. 



Experiment II. — The lungs of a slaughtered bull exposed during full 

 summer's heat for fourteen days. Nor a trace of reaction of chloroform 

 could be obtained by the Ragsky method. 



