MORPHINE. 183 



bright-yellow solution became gradually olive-green, and, 

 on further concentration, dark-green and cloudy. Then, 

 on shaking the fluid with chloroform, admitting as much 

 air as possible, the chloroform subsided, having a ruby-red 

 color if as much as two milligrammes of colchicine were 

 present, and a bright yellow if only one milligramme, and the 

 supernatant fluid became of a beautiful olive-green. When 

 ether, petroleum ether, benzol, carbon disulphide, or amylic 

 alcohol was substituted for the chloroform, the coloration 

 did not appear. From this Baumeet infers that the red 

 coloring matter is either only soluble in chloroform, or that 

 it is not formed until the chlorofoi'm is added. 



Batjmert found this test of great value in deciding 

 whether or not the substance which he found was colchi- 

 cine. The putrefactive product did not respond to the 

 test. 



Some of this substance was sent to Brieger, who de- 

 cided that it was not a base, but a peptone-like substance. 

 It was also found to be inert physiologically. 



Before these investigations were made by Baumert, 

 Ltebermann had found the same or a similar colchicine- 

 like substance in the cadaver. His description differed 

 from that of Baumert only in regard to the ta.ste of the 

 substance, Liebermann having failed to observe any 

 marked taste in the substance which he found, while, as has 

 been stated, Baumert reported a distinctly bitter taste. 



A colchicine-like substance has been found in beer, and 

 it has been suggested that it was this which the above- 

 mentioned toxicologists found in the bodies which they 

 examined, but Liebermann states that the man whose 

 body he examined had been a total abstainer from beer. 



Tamba compared the reactions of ptomaines obtained 

 from putrid sausage with similar reactions of various alka- 

 loids, and then ascertained the eifect upon the alkaloidal 

 reactions by mixing the alkaloids with the ptomaines. His 

 results are as follows : 



Morphine. — Ptomaines are colored yellow with nitric 

 acid ; reddish-yellow with concentrated sulphuric acid ; 



