321 



often in free hydrochloric acid. Very many specimens, ahhough 

 better than this, are yet so impure, that no one could, with comfort 

 or safety, use them. 



14. The chloroform now, and for some time past, made here, is 

 of first-rate quality. I have two specimens which are absolutely 

 pure, or nearly so ; and a third, which is hardly inferior, all made 

 and sold by Edinburgh manufacturers. 



15. On the other hand, I have various specimens, maker un- 

 known, besides some from makers in other places, which are not so 

 pure, although, in general, much purer than those which I examined 

 nearly three years ago. But one specimen deserves a separate notice. 

 It is labelled '^pure chloroform^ It is yellowish, has a strong 

 smell of the oils, and of impure wood-spirit ; and, when treated with 

 its own volume of oil of vitriol, developes much heat, colours the acid 

 dark brown, and disappears almost entirely, any trace of chloroform 

 it may contain being boiled off by the heat disengaged. It contains 

 also so much free acid, that the cork is corroded. It is to be hoped 

 that this product disgraces no longer the market. I do not know 

 the name of its maker. Three of the specimens became milky, when 

 mixed with the acid. One, after contact with the acid, acquired a 

 strong smell of musk. Another lost about a third of its bulk. All 

 but two coloured the acid decidedly at once ; and all left, more or less, 

 a disagreeable smell on the hand. One of the two which did not 

 much colour the acid at first was that which acquired the smell of 

 musk ; the other, evaporated on the hand, left a white stain, depend- 

 ing partly on the matters present in the skin. This was the case 

 also with another ; yet these two coloured the acid but little at first, 

 more strongly after a time : but both left a smell on the hand. 

 Only one (Edinburgh made) specimen, of density 1'500, gave no 

 colour, or only a perceptible tinge, to the acid. 



16. In conclusion, I would remark, that while the use of chlo- 

 roform in Edinburgh, in many thousand cases, has never yet led to a 

 fatal result, I do not intend to maintain that the use of pure chlor 

 reform never can cause fatal effects. On the contrary, I have no 

 doubt that, if rashly, carelessly, or ignorantly administered, so 

 powerful an agent may, like any other powerful drug, especially in 

 individuals of peculiar temperament, and in cases of severe, though 

 latent internal disease, give rise to fatal results. That no such cases 

 have here been met with is due partly to the good quality of the 



