TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 53 



A New Method of instituting post-mortem researches for Strychnia. 

 By John Horsley. 



The following will be found an exceedingly simple and successful method of 

 obtaining strychnia, in cases where it is practicable, from the tissues of the body. 



The weather at the time of making these experiments being very hot, the effluvia 

 evolved from so much putrefying animal matter-, induced me to adopt some means 

 for remedying the annoyance. I therefore thought of a solution of ordinai-y chloride 

 of lime (bleaching liquid), but fearing lest that agent should decompose or destroy 

 the strychnia, I first tried its effect on a weak acetic solution of strychnia, and was 

 surprised to find that a milky white precipitate of a chloride, possibly a hypochlorite 

 of strychnia, ensued, insoluble even on the addition of a large quantity of acetic acid. 

 This precipitate, when drained on a filter and dried, is freely soluble in alcohol, which 

 seems to be its best spirituous solvent, but did not readily dissolve in dilute sulphuric 

 acid even with the aid of heat. Its best acid solvent is glacial acetic acid. It is also 

 soluble in alkaline liquors. 



This result gave me such confidence, that I at once proceeded to operate on animal 

 matter. I therefore took some of the putrid liquid in which the liver of a dog 

 poisoned by strychnia had been boiled, which liver had not hitherto yielded me any 

 strychnia. I purposely introduced a little of the alkaloid, boiled the whole a few 

 minutes, and when cold, added the liquid chloride of lime in excess, or till all soluble 

 matter (animal or otherwise) was precipitated, and then filtered it through a cloth. 

 No trace of bitterness could be detected in the liquor. 



The drained precipitate of fibrine, gelatine, caseine, and strychnia was next dried 

 in a water-bath, then powdered, digested in alcohol acidified with acetic acid, heated, 

 filtered, and evaporated to the consistency of a syrup : by this time the whole of the 

 smell of chlorine will have been given off, and acetate of strychnia obtained, which 

 can be purified in the usual way, by precipitation with an alkali, &c. 



Testing for Strychnia, Brucia, 8(C. By John Horsley. 



The author tried the effects of a precipitant formed of one part of bichromate of 

 potash dissolved in fourteen parts of water, to which were added afterwards two 

 parts in bulk of strong sulphuric acid, upon a solution of strychnine, which was entirely 

 precipitated in the form of a beautiful golden-coloured insoluble chromate. The 

 decolorizat'wn of a solution of either the chromate or bichromate of potash was effected 

 by gradually adding a solution of the acetate of strychnia, when chromate of strychnia 

 was precipitated. Scarcely a trace of bitterness was left in the filtered liquor. 



The author claimed as his own, this mode of the application of the chromic salt 

 and the acid. He diluted thirty drops of a solution containing half a grain of strychnia 

 with four drachms of water. When six drops of a solution of bichromate of potash were 

 added, at each drop crystals were at once formed, and the decomposition was complete 

 when the whole were mixed together. Though the half-grain of strychnia was split 

 up into millions of atomic crystals, each atom as effectually demonstrated the chemical 

 properties of the poison as a pound in weight could have done. The chemical reaction 

 with these crystals was next shown by spreading out a drop of the liquid chromate of 

 strychnia upon an evaporating dish, and adding a drop or two of strong sulphuric acid. 



Amorphous chromate of strychnia may be obtained from neutral chromate of 

 potash; nacreous or crystalline, from the bichromate; and, thirdly, in the regular 

 crystalline state with a wealc chromic acid solution : fine spiculas are first formed, and 

 next (which is the peculiar characteristic of strychnia) small cubic crystals studding 

 the sides of the glass. 



The salts of brucia and of lead alone appear to afford results in anywise similar. 

 The chromates of strychnia and of brucia become (contrary to that of lead) dark 

 coloured by exposure to sunlight. 



Chromate of strychnia is changed to deep purple, and then to violet and red on appli. 

 cation of sulphuric acid. But chromate of brucia shows only an orange-red colour ; 

 and being more soluble, no crystals can be obtained by means of the weak acid 

 solution mentioned. Chromate of lead also is in the amorphous or powdery state, and 

 developes no colour with sulphuric acid. 



The following new tests disprove the fallacy entertained, that the non-detection 

 of strychnia in the body of J. P. Cooke was owing to the presence of antimonj'. 



Mix one part of a saturated solution of the yellow cyanide of potassium (12 grains 



