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The Post-mortem. Detection of Chloroform. 



Bj Chas. Luedeking, Ph.D. 



Presented before the St. Louis Academy of Science June, iSS6. 



In an important trial for murder recently held in St. Louis, 

 the author of this paper made a chemical examination of the 

 viscera of the victim, at the request of the coroner, and obtained 

 very decided reactions for chloroform, notwithstanding the fact 

 that the examination was not undertaken until about twelve 

 days after death. The lungs, usually congested in case of death 

 by chloroform, were selected as best suited for its detection. The 

 great volatility of chloroform would seem a priori to preclude 

 the possibility of its detection so long after death, and, as at the 

 time there was considerable doubt expressed as to the reliability 

 iind accuracy of the experiments, the author determined, once 

 for all, to decide the matter by direct experiment, and so set to 

 rest all doubts. 



The literature was first scanned carefully to ascertain whether 

 there were any prior experiments in this direction, but nothing 

 could be found. My direct object was then to determine how 

 long after death chloroform can, with certainty, be detected ; as 

 also whether or no any substances are generated by the process 

 of decomposition which might give similar reactions to chloro- 

 form, and thus lead to erroneous conclusions. 



The manner of experimenting was simple and direct. Dogs 

 of from 15 to 20 pounds weight were destroyed gradually by the 

 administration of chloroform through the lungs in from 5 to 15 

 minutes; then the carcasses were allowed to stand in summer's 

 heat or the temperature of the room for different periods of time, 

 and finally the lungs removed and tested for chloroform by the 

 Ragsky method.* In the following the experiments are briefly 

 given : 



Experiment I. — Carcass exposed on a dissecting table, during full 

 summer's heat, for six days and ten hours. Decomposition far advanced 

 and an exceedingly oflfensive odor given off. The lungs were removed, 



* Erdmann's Journal, 46, 170. 



