296 
ON  SYRUPUS  CALCIS  PHOSPHATIS. 
3d.  A  portion  of  the  same  substances,  not  more  than  one  tenth  of 
a  grain,  was  moistened  with  strong  sulphuric  acid;  to  this  a  minute 
quantity  of  red  ferro-cyanide  of  potassium  was  added,  when  a 
copious  violet  color,  of  remarkable  beauty,  was  produced. 
Again,  some  of  the  same  powder  was  moistened  with  strong  sul- 
phuric acid,  and  a  single  drop  of  a  strong  solution  of  yellow 
chromate  of  potassa  added.  The  usual  violet  color  was  decided 
and  abundant,  but  not  so  striking  in  its  effects,  as  in  the  preced- 
ing experiment. 
If  it  be  asked,  which,  of  all  these  results,  was  the  most  satis- 
factory, I  reply,  all  of  them  were  decided  and  characteristic  ; 
but  I  regard  the  last  with  red  ferri-cyanide  of  potassium,  (next  to 
the  peculiar  taste,)  as  the  most  decided  and  delicate.  I  should 
think  that  the  violet  color  in  this  experiment,  could  be  produced 
by  the  presence  of  even  so  small  a  quantity  as  the  one  thou- 
sandth part  of  a  grain  of  the  ordinary  commercial  strychnia. 
The  contents  of  the  basket  were  bread  and  butter,  dried  beef, 
cheese,  fried  cakes  and  a  small  fruit  pie.  The  cakes  and  beef 
had  retained  a  larger  proportion  of  the  strychnia  than  the 
other  articles.  On  examining  the  upper  crust  of  the  pie,  some 
minute  particles  of  the  strychnia  were  readily  discerned,  adher- 
ing to  it.  The  whole  have  been  carefully  sealed  up  and  laid 
aside  for  future  examination,  if  necessary.  Judging  from  the 
quantity  found  in  the  basket  and  on  the  paper,  I  should  think 
that'  at  least  ten  grains  of  strychnia  had  been  thrown  into  the 
basket. 
The  position  of  the  basket  during  the  forenoon  of  this  day, 
the  limited  number  of  workmen  have  access  to  the  workroom, 
with  some  other  attending  circumstances,  leave  no  doubt  upon 
my  mind,  that  an  attempt  at  sure  and  fatal  poisoning  was  made, 
and  the  individual  suspected  has  since  left  the  country. 
SYRUPUS  CALCIS  PHOSPHATIS. 
By  Thomas  S.  Wiegand. 
In  the  twenty-fifth  volume  of  the  American  Journal  of  Phar- 
macy, page  411,  a  formula  for  a  syrup  of  phosphate  of  lime  was 
published  by  Mr.  A.  Durand,  which,  being  prepared  by  means  of 
phosphoric  acid,  is  so  thoroughly  in  accordance  with  the  chemis- 
