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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [February 3, 1872. 
iron. But if fused with carbonate of potassium a 
reaction occurs, by which the cyanide of potassium 
of commerce is produced. 
K 4 FeC 6 N f) + KoCO, 
= 5KCN + KCNO + Fe + C0 2 . 
Commercial cyanide, therefore, contains invariably 
cyanate of potassium. This can be destroyed by 
fusion with a small quantity of charcoal. 
Red Prussiate of Potash (App. I., B.P.). 
K 6 (Fe 2 C 12 N 12 ). 
Prepared by transmitting chlorine gas through a 
solution of the yellow prussiate till a drop taken 
out and tested with a ferric salt ceases to give the 
characteristic precipitate of Prussian blue. The 
chlorine simply removes one-fourth of tlie^potassium 
as chloride, the two residues coalescing to form the 
ferricyanide. 
K 4 Fe"C 6 N 6 ) n 
K 4 Fe" C 6 N 6 j + 
= K 6 (Fe 2 ) vi C 12 N 12 + 2 K Cl. 
The salt crystallizes- from water in deep red right 
rhombic prisms. 
Both ferro- and ferri-cyanides are interesting not 
only on account of their practical applications, but 
their singular constitution. In the ferrocyanides 
the single atom of iron is in the ferrous state (Fe"), 
in the ferricyanides the double atom (Fe 2 ) vi is ferric 
and sexivalent. The ferricyanide of potassium is 
sometimes employed as an oxidizing agent; this it 
effects in alkaline liquids by becoming reduced to 
ferrocyanide. Thus,— 
2 [KHO] + K 6 Fe 2 C 12 N 12 
= 2 [K 4 FeC 6 N„] + H 2 '0 + 0. 
Potass.® Sulphas, K 2 S0 4 .—Generally prepared 
by neutrahzing with carbonate of potassium the re¬ 
sidue left after the distillation of nitric acid from 
nitre. 
The crystals are usually very distinct and easily 
recognized. 
[§ Colourless hard six-sided prisms terminated by 
six-sided pyramids.] 
Potass.® Tarteas, K 2 C 4 H 4 0 6 .—By neutralizing a 
hot aqueous solution of carbonate of potassium with 
cream of tartar, a solution is obtained which, when 
concentrated, yields small prismatic crystals. It is 
easily recognized^ by its neutrality to test-paper, 
ready solubility in water, and by giving when mixed 
with acetic acid a precipitate of acid tartrate. 
• 
Potass® Tartras Acida. — [§ KHC 4 H 4 0 6 . An 
acid salt obtained from the crude tartar, which is 
deposited during the fermentation of grape juice.] 
Tartar exists in grape juice ready-formed, and 
therefore, in consequence of its insolubility in alco¬ 
hol, separates out in the crystalline form, as that 
substance is developed during fermentation in the 
manufacture of wine. 
Crude argol is more or less coloured, and often 
contains tartrate of calcium in quantities by no 
means inconsiderable. 
Cream of tartar is soluble in about 180 parts of 
cold water, insoluble in spirit. 
Heated it leaves a black residue of potassic car¬ 
bonate mixed with carbon. 
NATIVE POISONS OF INDIA.* 
BY P. A. SIMPSON., M.D., 
Professor of Medical Jurisprudence, Anderson's University. 
(Continued from page 606.) 
Batura .—The Datura (or thorn-apple, so called from 
its spiny capsule; 'corolline mstivation being more or less 
imbricated, never valvate) is another member of the 
Solanaceous (or Atropaceous group, which is of very 
long standing in India as a virulent poison. It is chiefly 
the fruit and seeds that have hitherto been examined, 
but probably the w r hole plant is poisonous. It owes its 
poisonous properties to a peculiar alkaloid (first disco¬ 
vered by Brande, a German chemist) which is named 
daturine or daturia, but which has not been rendered 
available in medicine. 
Symptoms. —The symptoms produced by a poisonous 
dose in man are very variable, but the leading features 
are delirium, dilatation of the pupils, and stupor ; some¬ 
times spasms, and occasionally paralysis. An Indian 
writer of ancient date thus describes its effects, “they 
have an herbe called durroa, winch causeth distraction, 
without understanding anything done in a man’s pre¬ 
sence ; sometimes it maketh a man sleep as if he were 
dead, the space of 24 hours, except his feet be washed 
with cold water, w T hich restoreth him to himself. In 
much quantity it killeth.” Not only is datura employed 
in India as a directly poisonous substance, but also by 
women under the idea that they may thereby regain the 
affections of their husbands when the former have become 
weak. So early as the middle of the seventeenth century 
datura was employed in India in the punishment of state 
criminals, and it is used in man)’ - parts of India, for this 
purpose, up to the present day. For the purpose of 
facilitating theft and other criminal designs, the seeds of 
datura are very commonly given in India with sweet¬ 
meats, merely to stupefy rather than with a view of 
killing: intoxication or delirium in such cases is seldom 
produced, but the person sinks into profound lethargy, 
resembling coma, with dilated pupils but natural respira¬ 
tion. These symptoms have been known to continue 
even for two days, and still recovery take place; cold affu¬ 
sion and strong stimulant emetics constitute the most 
effectual treatment, and the vision often remains obscured 
long after the general recovery takes place. If given 
when the stomach is empty, a very small dose may pro¬ 
duce all the dangerous symptoms, and prove fatal. This 
fact is well known to all the Indian poisoners, who suit 
the time of administration to the purpose they mean to 
serve. 
Species .—The plants of this genus include various 
species. The Batura Stramonium is found in waste places 
throughout Europe, but its habitat extends to the Hima¬ 
layas, and even to North America. The species, how¬ 
ever, which are peculiarly indigenous to India are, B. 
fastuosa (which is purple-flowered), B. alba (white 
flowered) and B. ferox. The purple-flowered variety is 
comparatively rare, but the white variety ( B. alba) grows 
luxuriantly on the dunghill of nearly every peasant’s hut 
in many parts of India, especially Bengal. It is seen 
also in the roadsides and other waste places. The goats 
feed greedily upon it, and there is good reason to believe 
that it is cultivated not only for the goats, but for criminal 
purposes as well. It makes its appearance soon after 
the monsoons, and thrives with great vigour, pushing 
forth its large conspicuous tubular corolla, and giving 
beauty to otherwise uninteresting localities. The other 
variety (B. ferox ) is found chiefly on the Malabar coast. 
It was for a long time a disputed point in India, whether 
Ba tura was a substance capable of producing fatal results, 
or whether it had merely the effect of stupefying its 
victim. It is now, however, pretty clearly proved that 
the latter view (which obtained general credence as lately 
* Read before the Glasgow Chemists’ Association, Jan. 10, 
1872. 
