ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY “ BED PRECIPITATE.” 
nowhere more profuse than in the feet, where, confiued within the shoe, it is absorbed 
by the tissue of the socks. 
* “In conclusion, the accident to Mr. M-shows clearly that fuchsine is poison.” 
Professor Wanklyn, in the ‘ British Medical Journal,’ October 10, observes, in refer¬ 
ence to arsenic in aniline colours,— 
“ It is generally known that some of the old crude magenta cake and liquor which 
was in the market some few years ago, shortly after the first bringing out of the dye, 
-was largely contaminated with arsenic. But it is not generally known, even to chemists, 
that much of the beautifully crystallized magenta used to consist of arseniate of roseine, 
being not, properly speaking, contaminated with arsenic, but actually consisting of an 
arsenical compound. In the early part of 1863 (assisted by Mr. Robinson, who w r as my 
assistant at that time), I made an examination of the beautifully crystallized magenta 
which was being manufactured in one of the largest coal-tar colour works in Europe, 
and found it to be arseniate of roseine, apparently chemically pure. The following is a 
comparison between the calculated numbers for pure arseniate of roseine, and those 
actually found on making a combustion. 
^20^19^3’ As0 3 H. 
Theory. 
c 2() . 
... 240 
H n . 
... 20 
^3 • 
... 42 
As . 
. . . 75 
0 3 . 
... 48 
1 ° 
CM 
1 
1 
56‘47 
470 
100-00 
Found. 
56 56 
4-91 
“ Both the nitrogen and the arsenic were determined ; and, though the numbers given 
were not by any means accurate, were still quite near enough to confirm the formula, 
^20^13^3* AsOgll. 
“Since 1863 there have been great changes in the mode of purifying magenta ; and 
I hardly think that this pure arseniate of roseine w r ould be found largely to-day. Still 
it would be rash to assert that this kind of magenta has entirely disappeared from the 
market. But, be this as it may, there is reason to fear that most of the magenta, and 
also all those common blues and violets which are made from it, are more or less con¬ 
taminated with arsenic. To mend the matter, it is not generally known to chemists, 
but is nevertheless quite true, that the mere detection of arsenic in aniline colours is 
not always easy—even when large quantities of arsenic are present; the aniline colours 
having the property of masking the presence of arsenic to a very great extent.” 
Mr. William Crookes states (‘Times,’ Oct. 16) that arsenic has nothing to do with the 
effects described, as no arsenical compound, in connection with aniline dyes, has been 
sold for many years ; and he observes that all the colours complained of contain one in¬ 
gredient in common,—a brilliant and fast orange dye (the different shades being pro¬ 
duced by the admixture of this orange with other harmless colours), which he has suc¬ 
ceeded in identifying as one of the several aniline orange dyes which have been introduced 
into commerce during the last eighteen months. It possesses acid properties; is inso¬ 
luble in water, but soluble in alkalies; it gives a very stable dye on silk and wool, and, 
under exceptional conditions, would be capable of producing an irritating action on the 
skin. Mr. Crookes thinks that the reason there have been so few complaints arises from 
the fact that normal perspiration is slightly acid, and consequently will not act upon the 
insoluble acid dye, but that, under exceptional circumstances, the perspiration may be¬ 
come alkaline, when a portion of the dye -would be dissolved and become absorbed. 
ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY “RED PRECIPITATE.” 
At the Bow Street Police Court, on Tuesday, October 13, Selina Jones was charged 
with attempting to poison herself with “red precipitate.” She was found in the street 
and was takeu to King’s College Hospital, where she recovered. 
