400 



Medico-Legal 



After applying the method of removing lime which has just been 

 described quantitative estimations (Method, p. 315) were made. 



The above table shows that all the materials used in this series 



produced slight effects on the serum, but that mortar and lime 



completely destroyed its power of reacting. All had been ground up 

 very finely before the addition of the serum. 



The effects of the lime present in ordinary eartfis. 



The next point of importance was to determine whether the amount 

 of lime present in ordinary earths was sufficient to interfere to any 

 serious extent with the reaction. For this purpose 9 samples of 

 analysed earth were obtained, five from a field of gravelly land near 

 Trowse, divided into five plots, and the others from different localities. 

 The results of the analyses of these earths dried at 100 C. are given in 

 the following table, arranged according to the percentage of lime 

 present. We are indebted to Mr T. B. Wood for these analysed earths. 



Total lime 



Organic matter, loss ) 

 by ignition } 



Calcium carbonate 

 Total phosphoric acid 

 Total potash 

 Total nitrogen 



Strong solutions of the above after simple filtration were at first 

 clear but showed a white filmy deposit after standing. The quantity of 

 this increased with the percentage of the lime present. On the 

 addition of anti-human serum a thin cloud spread through the entire 



