aE — 
Means of detecting Arsenic in.the Animal Body, §c. 291 
quantity of muriatic acid is” poured upon it, which detec 
what nitrate of silver remains, ‘and converts the precipitate into 
chloride of silver. There remains now in solution arsenic and 
arsenious acids, and by eeaans and evaporating to o dryness, they 
are obtained, 
I propose to pass the arsciinitstied hydrogen through a tolerably 
Strong solution: of iodine in alcohol, in order to decompose it, 
which it does effectually, there being formed the iodide of arse- 
nic, which remains in solution. All’ that is now necessary to be 
done, is to evaporate nearly to dryness, until red fumes make their 
appearance, and then pour twice or thrice as much nitric acid as 
there is residue into the capsule. _ Heat is again applied, and the 
evaporation continued to dryness, when there will be remaining 
arsenic and arsenious acids. The nitric acid in this case converts 
the iddine of the iodide of arsenic, and the free iodine into iodous 
and iodic acids, both of which are evaporated with the undecom- 
posed nitric acid. 
- Iodine also decomposes the antimoniacal hydrogen, first form- 
ing iodide of antimony, which the water of the alcohol immedi- 
ately decomposes into hydriodic acid and oxide of antimony, the 
latter of which is precipitated. This then becomes a convenient 
mode of separating the two substances, antimony and arsenic, for 
_by passing the compound gas through the alcoholic solution of 
iodine, it becomes decomposed, and iodide of arsenic is formed, 
Which remains in solution, and the oxide of antimony which is 
' 4 Precipitated, can be separated by means of a filter. This, how- 
ever, is not the plan that I would propose ; it would be better to 
invert the precipitate as well as the liquid into a capsule, evapo- 
fate and treat with nitric acid as in the case of arsenic, when 
we shall have left the arsenic, arsenious and antimonious acids, 
the two former of which are soluble in water. 
One may now imagine that there is nothing easier for the med- 
ico-jurist than to form a correct opinion, and one that cannot be 
doubted, concerning the poisoning by arsenic. Whether such is 
the fact or not, he will find, in some cases, that all his skill and 
Care will be segdired, not only to convince the minds of others, 
but even his own. It may not unfrequently occur, that arsenious 
acid has been the poisoning agent, and still great difficulties pre- 
seit themselves, which are enumerated in almost all works on 
medical jispradence. 
