Cushman — Post-Mortem Detection of Strychnine. 539 
The following method modified from the usual methods has 
been found by us in every case to yield excellent results. The 
stomach contents or viscera properly comminuted are weighed 
and an aliquot part taken for analysis. The mass is digested 
in a beaker over night at a warm temperature with water 
acidulated with acetic acid. The contents of the beaker are 
filtered by pressing through muslin, and then passing through 
paper. The clear filtrate is evaporated on the water bath to 
soft dryness, an excess of ordinary 80 per cent. alcohol added 
and boiled ten minutes with stirring and allowed to stand one- 
half hour at a warm temperature. This extraction is repeated, 
the alcohol extracts united, filtered, evaporated to soft dryness, 
and the residue taken up with a little water acidulated with 
acetic acid, and shaken out with pure acetic ether in a 
separating funnel. Successive fresh portions of acetic ether 
are used until the solvent shows by its color and by the 
evaporation of a few drops that it does not contain extractive 
matter. As many as twelve extractions are sometimes nec- 
essary to accomplish this. Care should be taken in each case 
to allow time for as complete separation as possible between 
the two layers. The purified acid aqueous liquid, which need 
not exceed in bulk 50 c.c., is now returned to the separator, 
an equal quantity of fresh acetic ether added and enough sodic 
carbonatein solution to render the mixture slightly alkaline, and 
the separator is then thoroughly shaken for several minutes. 
All the alkaloid should now be in solution in the acetic ether, 
but a second shaking of the alkaline liquid, with acetic ether 
is always made, the two extracts united and evaporated in a 
glass dish over hot water to dryness. It will now 
be found that the residue shows the alkaloid fairly 
pure but not pure enough for quantitative results. The 
residue is dissolved in a few drops of dilute acetic 
acid, warmed to complete solution, filtered if necessary, 
diluted to about 30 c.c., and the solution transferred to a 
small separating funnel. Thirty c.c. of ether-chloroform 
(1-1) are now added and the separator shaken. After sep- 
aration the heavier ether-chloroform is allowed to run off, 
another lot of 30 c.c. of ether chloroform is added, the 
separator shaken, and immediately enough ammonia water 
