MORPHTA AND CARYOPHYLLUM COMPARED. 
253 
is just possible that a solution of tbe hydroclilorate, acetate, or sulphate of 
Tuorpliia (the sulphate is much employed in America) might in a moment of 
haste or under one of those extraordinary abnormal conditions of things when 
an accident occurs, be used instead of a spiritous solution of the oil of cloves 
or a water flavoured with the oil, aqua caryophylli being frequently ordered, 
though not in the Pharmacopceia. In the event of intentional poisoning by 
morphia, a defence might be set up that the colour-test was no reliable proof 
of the presence of morphia, inasmuch as the same might be the result of the 
presence of cloves in the stomach after eating apple pie or pudding, cloves 
being the ordinary spice employed in such cases for flavouring, and with as 
much or little reason as the presence of prussic acid upon a notable occasion 
was attempted to be made attributable to the presence of apple pips. More¬ 
over, in intentional poisoning the one might be used to cover the other. 
If, after much care, the results of my experiments do not altogether coin¬ 
cide with those of Dr. Farre, and if by my working I am able to point out a 
marked difierence between the two so long as they have been separately em¬ 
ployed, or one accidentally substituted for the other ; although when mixed 
the action of the colour-test becomes indistinct, then certainly I feel that in 
attempting to profit by the Doctor’s suggestion, that these facts deserve 
especial attention, I'have found a weighty motive beyond my own instruction 
for so doing. 
With morphia and the salts of it, hydrochlorate, acetate, and sulphate, 
nitric acid produces a brilliant pinkish-red, rapidly changing to orange- 
yellow, with solutions of the salts of morphia, gr. iv to 3 ] fl. Nitric acid 
gives a bright pinkish-red, changing in the course of an hour or two to yellow. 
The application of nitric acid to oil of cloves undiluted developes a bright 
garnet-red, which does not change to yellow under ordinary circumstances ; 
with a fresh infusion of cloves a red is produced similar to the solutions of 
morphia, but darker, and soon changing to yellow; and with an aqueous 
mixture of the oil a reddish-yellow changing to pale straw. So far, making 
allowance for difierence of shade of colour, and difierence of eyesight, there 
is a great similarity, excepting that the red from the combination of oil of 
cloves and nitric acid does not change to yellow. But a step further. Add 
to the different solutions of morphia and nitric acid and cloves with nitric 
acid: some solution of chlorinated lime, the clove solutions upon exposure to 
light for some hours become perfectly colourless, whilst the morphia solutions 
under the same conditions retain a pale straw-colour. Here then, I submit, is 
a characteristic and distinctive feature, even if the red colours altogether 
coincided. The tincture of perchloride of iron yields, according to my ex¬ 
periments, results more marked. With morphia and the three salts before, 
mentioned in solution, the tincture of perchloride of iron gives a clear and 
distinct blue, changing in a few hours, it is true, to pale green. 
With a solution of oil of cloves in spirit I obtain, with the tincture of 
perchloride of iron, a clear and decided green, and permanent for some days ; 
with an aqueous mixture an indistinct yellow, changing to dirty pale brown; 
with fresh infusion of cloves by the same test, a dirty olive-green solution and 
a copious deposit; with infusion which has been suffered to stand three or 
four days upon the marc, I have in appearance a very dark solution, almost 
black, undoubtedly due to a larger quantity of the tannin present being 
taken up, but really, when filtered, a dark olive-green-brown with a large 
precipitate. 
Dr. Farre also writes of infusion and oil of pimento presenting similar 
features. Upon trial I find that nitric acid gives with the oil a blood-red 
with a rose tint, but not permanent; with the infusion an indistinct pinkish- 
red, changing to yeUow; tincture of perchloride of iron produces with the 
