Detection of Small Amounts of Chloral. hi 



the alpha and beta naphthol, the Ragsky, the cyanide, the formic 

 acid and the Vitalli Tornani, were studied, first, with relation to 

 sensitiveness, second, as to the possibility of differentiating chloral 

 from chloroform and, third, as to the interference of formalin with 

 these reactions. The isonitrile and resorcin tests were found to 

 be the most sensitive. By the former, chloral can be detected 

 down to a dilution of .05 mgs. to the c.c. The resorcin test indi- 

 cates chloral only to .25 mg. in one c.c, if the test is judged by the 

 color alone; at this point the test is discarded if no red color 

 appears. Chloral in amounts under .25 mg. per c.c. may still be 

 present and detected by the appearance of a slight greenish 

 fluorescence on diluting the reaction product with 10 c.c. of water. 

 This fluorescence-giving property is sensitive to .05 mg. to the c.c. 

 Both substances, namely, chloral and chloroform, respond equally 

 well to the isonitrile test, the alpha and Beta naphthol, the Ragsky, 

 the cyanide, the formic acid, the resorcin and the orcin tests. The 

 reactions which are used for differentiating are as follows: 



(a) The Vitalli Tornani test. 1 Its limitations are that it is 

 sensitive only to the extent of 2 mg. in 100 c.c, that too much 

 material must be used, and that it requires the use of a fairly 

 large quantity of apparatus and, moreover, that all volatile halide 

 compounds respond in a similar fashion. 



(b) The Nessler test. This is given by chloral but not by 

 chloroform and it is sensitive only to the extent of .25 mg. to the 

 c.c. Furthermore, formalin gives a similar reaction and hence 

 the test is useless when applied to embalmed material. 



(c) The odor of chloroform in the distillate is possible, of course, 

 only with large quantities of chloroform. 



Formalin, which very often is present in the embalming fluid, 

 interferes with the color reactions in that it likewise gives the same 

 color, namely, a red or brownish-red. 



The lethal dose of chloral is large, namely, 20 grams, but when 

 one considers the instability of chloral, the rapidity with which 

 the body detoxicates and excretes it, the time interval between the 

 taking and the death of the individual (which is usually over 24 

 hours), the distribution in the various tissues and, finally, that 



l Vitali Tornani, Chim. Tossic, 1893, p. 179. Vitali e Tornani, L'Orosi, 1885, 

 7. 377- 



