TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 5'J 



a grain of strycliiune, was seized with tetanus in three hours, died in twelve hours, 

 and notwithstanding the smalhiess of the dose, and the length of time the vital powers 

 could act upon it, yet strychnine was satisfactorily discovered in all the more im- 

 portant organs. Again, a Terrier Dog was fed on the flesh of the hoi-se for four- 

 teen days, received each day 2 lbs. of food undoubtedly containing strychnine, lived 

 and thrived on the poisoned flesh, and when afterwards destroyed by strychnine (un- 

 fortunately so), yielded such a comparatively large proportion of strychnine, that the 

 author came to the conclusion that this excess of strychnine must have been stored up 

 in the tissues of the animal whilst it was partaking of the flesh of the horse, containing 

 the minimum of minimum of doses of strychnine. 



In summing up these remarks on the detection of strychnine, the author deduces 

 from the results of the experiments, the following conclusions : — 



(1) That, when administered to the animal, strychnine is absorbed and retained 

 in its system. 



(2) That strychnine is not sensibly destroyed in the animal system during life, nor 

 by the partial decomposition of the animal tissue consequent on death. 



(3) That minimum doses of strychnine may cause the animal to exhibit but par- 

 tially, or not at all, the physiological effects, but such dosss are the most favourable 

 for the chemist ; so that, as the physiological evidence decreases, or sinks to a mini- 

 mum, the chemical proof increases or rises to a maximum. 



(4) That tartar emetic, muriate of morphia, extract of hemlock, and coniine, may 

 retard or relieve the spasms, but they do not in the slightest degree hinder the chemi- 

 cal isolation and detection of strychnine. 



(5) That, by proper treatment, strychnine can be separated from organized tissue 

 and organic matter in general, as easily as any other poison — arsenic not excepted — 

 and much more easily than most other poisonous substances. 



(6) That, when isolated, strychnine can be distinguished by a special test, which 

 is unerring and most delicate, and which will detect the merest trace. 



(7) That the decomposition or natural decay of the animal frame may in ages cause 

 the complete destruction of the strychnine ; but in this, time will no more easily blot 

 out all traces of strychnine than it will obliterate the mark of the knife of the assassin. 



On a Series of Descriptive Labels for Mineral Collections in Public Institu- 

 tions. By the Rev. W. Mitchell and Prof. J. Tennant. 



Note on the Alkaline Emanations from Sewers and Cesspools. By William 

 Odling, M.B., F.C.S., L.B.C.P., Professor of Practical Chemistry, 8sc., 

 Guy's Hospital. 



Sewer and cesspool water was distilled. The powerfully alkaline distillate was 

 supersaturated with hydrochloric acid, and precipitated with bichloride of platinum in 

 the usual manner. The resulting platinum salt was crystallized, and then burnt with 

 chromate of lead. The liberation of a large amount of carbonic acid proved the car- 

 boniferous character of the alkali. The platinum salt yielded the same per-centage 

 of platinum as the platlno-chloride of methylamine. 



On the Detection of Antimony for Medico-Legal Purposes. By William 

 Odling, M.B., F.C.S., L.R.C.P., Professor of Practical Chemistry, Ssc, 

 Guy's Hospital. 



By Reinsch's process, antimonial deposits upon copper can be obtained from solu- 

 tions which, on account of their dilution, are unaffected by sulphydric acid. The 

 •001th of a grain of dry tartar emetic, under a dilution of half a million times, gives 

 a complete metallic coating to one square inch of copper siu'face. By the same pro- 

 cess, other metals than antimony, arsenic, and mercury can be deposited as brilliant 

 metallic coatings upon copper. The characters of the various deposits, and the cir- 

 cumstances under which they form, vary somewhat. Cadmium precipitates copper 

 completely from cupric solutions; but, on the other hand, from cadmic solutions cad- 

 mium is readily preoipitable upon copper. The deposit of antimony upon copper is 



