1824.] Scientific Notices — Chemistry. 229 



died in 1 minutes after the injection of 14 grains of the poison, 

 contained acetate of morphia, as did also the small intestine of a 

 cat, and the duodenum of a dog, after the poison had been 

 injected into those parts. 



Thirty-six grains of acetate of morphia were injected into the 

 crural vein of a dog, and 30 grains into the jugular vein of a 

 horse, but none could be detected in the blood, drawn \\ hour 

 after injection from the opposite vein ; but on repeating the 

 experiment, and bleeding the animal in 10 minutes after the 

 poison was injected, it was found in the blood. 



M. Lassaigne concludes from his experiments, 



1. That in many cases of poisoning by acetate of morphia, 

 sensible traces of that vegetable poison may be chemically 

 detected. 



2. It is alwavs found in the viscera in which it was first depo- 

 sited. 



3. The contents of the stomach, ejected by vomiting soon after 

 the injection of the poison into it, contain ponderable quantities 

 of the acetate of morphia. 



4. All attempts to detect its presence in the blood of animals 

 poisoned by acetate of morphia, have been ineffectual. — (Journ. 

 de Pharmacie.) 



2. Cause of the Odour of Hydrogen Gas. 



In our last number we quoted some observations by Berze- 

 lius respecting the oil which communicates to hydrogen gas, 

 its peculiar odour : as the circumstance, although well known 

 to chemists, has been seldom adverted to, we shall lay before 

 our readers a brief account of some facts which had been pre- 

 viously ascertained respecting it. 



About the year 1800, Proust stated, in a memoir read be- 

 fore the National Institute, that this peculiar odour resides 

 in a volatile aromatic oil, of a bituminous flavour, which is held 

 in solution by the gas ; and in support of his opinion, he ad- 

 duced the following facts. 1. During the solution of cast iron 

 in sulphuric or muriatic acid, the neck of the retort, and the 

 sides of the receiver, have a greasy appearance, in consequence 

 of their being coated with minute drops of this oil. 2. When 

 a considerable quantity of metal is dissolved at once, as from 

 L2 to 15 oz., drops of this oil are obtained floating on the liquid 

 in the receiver. 3. The carbonaceous matter remaining after 

 the digestion of cast iron in either of these acids, yields a por- 

 tion of this oil by distillation : alcohol also extracts the oil from 

 it, and the solution is rendered milky by the addition of water. 

 —(Mem. Pres. a l'lnst. des Scien. i. 205.) 



Vauquelin, about five years after, confirmed the preceding 

 observations, and communicated some additional information 

 respecting the properties of the oil. He prepared it by dissolv- 



