HEMLOCK. 
§§ 332, 333-] 
273 
contracted, and the blood-pressure increased ; but on the development of 
paralysis the breathing becomes slowed, the capillaries relaxed, and the 
blood-pressure sinks. Death takes place from cessation of the respira¬ 
tion, and not primarily from the heart, the heart beating after the 
breathing has stopped. Coniine is eliminated by the urine, and is also 
in part separated by the lungs, while a portion is, perhaps, decomposed 
in the body. 
§ 332. Post-mortem Appearances. —There is nothing characteristic 
in the appearances after death. 
Fatal Dose. —The fatal dose of coniine is not accurately known ; 
it is about 150 mgrms. (2-3 grains). In the case of Louise Berger, 10 
to 15 drops appear to have caused death in a few minutes. The auto¬ 
experiments of Dworzak, Heinrich, and Dillaberger would indicate that 
one drop may cause unpleasant symptoms. Albers, in the treatment of 
a woman suffering from cancer of the breast, witnessed convulsions and 
loss of consciousness from the third dose of 4 mgrms. (-06 grain) ; and 
Eulenberg, its full narcotic effects on a child after subcutaneous in¬ 
jection of 1 mgrm. (-015 grain). 
§ 333. Separation of Coniine from Organic Matters or Tissues.— 
The substances are digested with water, acidulated with H 2 S0 4 , at a 
temperature not exceeding 40°, and then filtered. If the filtrate should 
be excessive, it must be concentrated ; alcohol is then added, the liquid 
refiltered, and from the filtrate the alcohol separated by distillation. 
On cooling, the acid fluid is agitated with benzene, and the latter 
separated in the usual way. The fluid is now alkalised with ammonia, 
and shaken up once or twice with its own volume of petroleum ether ; 
the latter is separated and washed with distilled water, and the alkaloid 
is obtained almost pure. If the petroleum ether leaves no residue, it is 
certain that the alkaloid was not present in the contents of the stomach 
or intestine. 
The affinity of coniine with ether or chloroform is such that its solu¬ 
tion in either of these fluids, passed through a dry filter, scarcely retains 
a drop of water. In this way it may be conveniently purified, the 
impurities dissolved by water remaining behind. 
In searching for coniine, the stomach, intestines, blood, urine, liver, 
and lungs are the parts which should be examined. According to 
Dragendorff, it has-been discovered in the body of a cat six weeks after 
death. 
Great care must be exercised in identifying any volatile alkaloid as 
coniine, for the sources of error seem to be numerous. In one case 3 a 
volatile coniine-like ptomaine was separated from a corpse, and thought 
to be coniine ; but Otto found that in its behaviour to platinic chloride 
it differed from coniine ; it was very poisonous—07 mgrm. was fatal to 
1 Otto, Anhitung z. Ausmittlung d. Gifte, 1875. 
18 
