514 POISONS I THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§ 673. 
with decomposition ; it is soluble in mineral acids, with difficulty in cold 
water, but better in hot; it is insoluble in chloroform, amyl alcohol, 
carbon disulphide, ether, acetone, and petroleum ether ; in alcohol it 
is slightly soluble. Since it is a phenol, the caustic alkalies dissolve it, 
but neither the carbonates of the alkalies nor ammonia ; it dissolves 
in glacial acetic acid, in ethyl oxalate (warm), and in benzaldehyde. 
It is not precipitated by the group alkaloidal reagents ; it reduces 
Fehling’s solution, and also ammoniacal silver solution. It forms soluble 
salts with acids, reacts feebly alkaline to litmus paper, and its aqueous 
solution becomes red on exposure to the air, turning later to brown. 
The addition of ferric chloride to such solution produces a characteristic 
green colour. Adrenalin polarises ; its specific rotation, in dilute mineral 
acids, is at 20° C. — 51*4°. 
§ 673. Physiological Action of Adrenalin. —The primary action is 
on the blood-vessels and the heart. Applied to the skin or to a mucous 
membrane, it produces an extraordinary contraction of capillaries and 
arteries, so as to diminish greatly the blood supply ; hence its great 
use in surgery. If injected intravenously, fractions of a mgrm. cause 
in dogs or rabbits a large sudden increase of the blood-pressure ; but in 
consequence of destruction or change of the poison, this increased blood- 
pressure is of very short duration. After subcutaneous doses of 
adrenalin, glycosuria has been observed. 
Death occurs from heart paralysis or arrest of the respiration. 
There is great danger in treating human patients with subcutaneous 
injections of adrenalin, if the heart is already weakened by disease ; 
in such a case death may occur, probably from the sudden stress put 
on the circulation from the increased blood-pressure. 
Detection of Adrenalin. —(a) Physiological. —In physiological labora¬ 
tories, the change in the blood-pressure when minimal doses are intro¬ 
duced into the circulation of animals, after destruction of the brain and 
spinal cord, has been extensively used. The most convenient method is, 
however, to take the excised eye of a frog ; a very dilute solution causes 
contraction of the pupil. 
(6) Chemical.— Folin, Cannon, and Denis use sodium phospho- 
tungstic acid (10 grms. sodium tungstate, 75 c.c. water), then 8 c.c. 85 per 
cent, phosphoric acid boiled gently for 1J hours and made up to 100 c.c. 
This reagent gives the same colour as with uric acid, only three times 
stronger ; hence adrenalin can be estimated by comparing the colour 
produced on adding the test to known quantities of uric acid, the 
result being divided by three. Iodine or iodic acid, mercuric chloride, 
alkaline persulphates, and several other reagents produce a red colour 
when added to solutions of adrenalin. 1 
1 See The Simpler Natural Bases, by George Barger, Lond., 1914. 
