308 
ACCIDENTAL POISONING BY STRYCIfNINE. 
inerce, and of enormous explosive power. When the committee yielded to these appli¬ 
cations and came to consider what they had to investigate, there appeared to be no doubt 
of the presence of such a combustible substance on board the vessel. It appeared, also, 
that the question whether that substance occasioned the accident or not would probably 
have to be determined in the courts of law. The inquiries of the committee, therefore, 
were limited to the following points:—The chemical composition of the substance and 
its explosive force; its applications and the places of its manufacture; the means em¬ 
ployed for its transport and the e^JIct nature of the risks attending its manufacture, 
carriage, and use. The committee requested Captain Grant, E.N., one of the officers 
of the Association, to carry out an investigation directed to these questions, and to do 
this in communication with Professor Abel, chemist. Royal Arsenal Laboratory, Wool¬ 
wich. The result of Captain Grant’s inquiry is set out in the report annexed, which has 
been read and approved by Mr. Abel. The following is a summary of its contents:— 
The substance is a manufactured substance, composed of glycerine, nitric and sulphuric 
acids. It is called nitro-glycerine, glonoin oil, and Nobel’s patent blasting oil. It is 
exploded by concussion, and apparently, under ordinary circumstances, by nothing else 
—neither by friction nor fire. Generally, a trifling percussion is sufficient to explode it. 
Its explosive force is about ten times that of gunpowder. It is usually carried in tin 
cans, holding each about 25 lb. weight of the oil. It has all the appearance of ordinary 
oil; so that there is nothing in itself, or in the tins used for its carriage, to give notice 
of its dangerous^ nature. The cans are packed each in a wooden case, for carriage by 
land or water. The oil is manufactured by the patentee, Mr. Nobel, of Hamburg, and 
by other persons abroad, under his licence. It is at present employed for blasting only. 
It is extensively used both abroad and in this country.—Salvage Association, Lloyd’s. 
W. W. Saunders, Chairmnn.” The committee append to their report a notice which 
has been issued by the Prussian Government as to the transport of glonoin oil, and 
which they suggest might be advantageously followed out in this country:—“There has 
lately appeared in commerce a blasting material under the name of ‘ blasting oil,’ or 
‘nitro-glycerine,’the qualifications of which to explode under certain conditions with 
great force has already' occasioned sad accidents. As this blasting oil supersedes in 
many ways the use of gunpowder, and has been used with great success as a blasting 
expedient in mines and other way’'s, it will no doubt become an article of great import¬ 
ance. According to the present experiences, .the sudden explosion is occasioned by 
strong heat as well as by the effect of a shock, and by compression. The transport and 
the w'arehousing of this article can only, therefore, be allowed under such conditions as 
to exclude the possibility of contact with great heat, as also of any shock or pressure. 
The transport of nitro-glyxerine by land or by waater, especially also by rail, can there¬ 
fore only be allowed under the same conditions as those referring to the transport of 
ignitable jars, in addition to which we issue the following orders as further means of 
precaution:—The nitro-glycerine must be packed in bottles, made either of tin or 
strong glass. The bottles must be closed by a stopper of cork, not of glass. The glass 
bottles used for the transport of blasting oil must be cased with cork, having an inside 
lining of straw. These packages, the tin bottles as well as the incased glass bottles, 
must be packed in tight wooden cases, straw, hay, or such like, to be used for packing. 
The cases must be marked ‘sprengoel’ (or blasting oil) on the outside. Sending ‘blast¬ 
ing oil ’ by post is strictly forbidden. As the nitro-glycerine, in a temperature of a few 
degrees above zero, crystallizes, and is in this condition, according to experience, more 
likely to explode, a greater amount of care is recommended during the colder season of 
the year. As regards the warehousing of blasting oil, the same orders have to be 
complied with as those applying to gunpowder and other explosive articles. Who¬ 
soever acts contrary to these orders will be fined not exceeding ten dollars, or, if un¬ 
able to pay, the offender will be punished by'- proportionate imprisonment. By order of 
the King.—Home Department, —Lack. Breslau, Feb. 20, 18GG.” 
ACCIDENTAL POISONING BY STRYCHNINE. 
A very singular and exceedingly painful case of accidental poisoning occurred at the 
village of Wardley, near Uppingham, Rutlandshire, on the 9th of September, the victim 
being the wife of Mr. C. H. Simkin. On the following day an inquest was held on the 
