310  MISCELLANEOUS  CHEMICAL  OBSERVATIONS. 
Dissolved  in  water  in  a  test  tube,  and  nitric  acid  added  to  the 
solution,  it  yields  a  red  precipitate  and  leaves  a  yellowish-brown 
supernatant  fluid.  The  paste  alluded  to  is  of  this  color  (yellow- 
ish-brown). What  is  worthy  of  note,  also,  is,  that  after  the 
carmine  color  thus  produced  on  the  tile  is  dried  and  then  mois- 
tened with  water  or  alcohol,  it  loses  its  redness  and  resumes  its 
original  color. 
Rubbed  up  with  alcohol,  the  deposit  is  found  to  yield  a  yel- 
lowish-amber colored  tincture,  which,  when  the  alcohol  is  evap- 
orated, becomes  a  gamboge-yellow  ;  and  has  a  perceptible  bit- 
terness, and  at  the  time  of  the  solution,  a  bulky,  olive  green 
precipitate  is  left.  This  olive-green  sediment,  reacting  with  ni- 
tric acid,  becomes  snuff-brown.  But  the  material,  whatever  it 
is,  which  plays  such  a  curious  part,  is  found  in  the  tincture ;  for 
when  this  is  evaporated,  and  the  gamboge  color  obtained,  nitric 
acid  added  to  it  produces  the  carmine  color,  which  is  rendered 
yellow  again  by  wetting  it  with  alcohol  or  water.  The  carmine 
color  is  similarly  affected  by  solution  of  potash,  and  after  this 
addition  of  the  alkali,  if  sulphate  of  copper  in  solution  be  add- 
ed, an  instant  bulky  precipitate,  exactly  resembling  Scheele's 
green  in  color,  is  formed.  This  may  be  of  some  importance  in 
a  toxicological  point  of  view. 
I  send  herewith  some  of  the  deposit  in  question. 
In  haste,  thy  friend,  Jno.  T.  Plummer. 
P.  S. — I  must  take  this  opportunity  of  calling  attention  to  some 
obvious  errors,  (three  or  four)  in  Flandin's  formula  for  the  detec- 
tion of  morphia,  as  given  in  Wharton  &  Stille's  "Medical  Juris- 
prudence." Not  having  the  book  at  hand,  just  now,  I  can  only 
say  I  recollect  the  language,  is  "  evaporate  by  alcohol,"  the  by 
should  be  omitted.  The  proportions  of  materials  in  another 
place  are  transposed,  and  alcohol  is  designated  in  one  place 
instead  of  ether,  &c.  Young,  inexperienced  chemists  or  physi- 
cians may  be  misled  by  the  formula  as  it  now  stands. 
Note. — [In  relation  to  Mettauer's  solution,  the  observations  possess  con- 
siderable interest.    This  solution  is  composed  and  prepared  as  follows : 
Socotrine  Aloes,  in  powder,       -        2j  ounces,  Troy. 
Bicarbonate  of  Soda,  6        "  " 
Compound  spirit  of  Lavender,    -        2  fluid  ounces. 
Water,  4  pints. 
Macerate  for  two  weeks  and  filter. 
