ALLEGED  POISONING  BY  OIL  OF  BITTER  ALMONDS.  271 
M.  Dusart  has  since,  but  without  success,  endeavored  to  effect 
this  division  ;  but  by  distilling  a  mixture  of  phtalate  of  soda, 
oxalate  and  lime,  he  has  obtained,  among  other  products,  small 
quantities  of  hydride  of  benzoil,  [Comptes  Rendus,  1862,  lv.  448). 
We  prepare  phtalic  acid  by  means  of  naphthaline,  and  we 
transform  it  into  salt  of  lime. 
We  mix  an  equivalent  of  neutral  phtalate  of  lime  bicalcic 
phtalate,  with  an  equivalent  of  hydrated  lime,  and  maintain  it 
for  several  hours  at  a  temperature  of  from  330°  to  350°,  not 
allowing  free  access  of  the  air. 
The  salt  will  then  be  entirely  transformed  into  benzoate  and 
carbonate  of  lime,  according  to  the  equation — 
C16H4Ca08+CaO.HO=  C14H6Ca04  +  2CaO.C02. 
We  extract  the  benzoate  of  lime  by  water,  concentrate  the 
liquids,  and  precipitate  the  benzoic  acid. — Chem.  News,  (Lond.) 
May  26,  1865,  from  Comptes  Rendus,  ix. 
ALLEGED  POISONING  BY  OIL  OF  BITTER  ALMONDS. 
A  case  of  poisoning  near  Maidstone,  which  we  find  reported 
in  the  Chemist  and  Druggist,  deserves  some  notice  as  of  interest 
to  toxicologists.  A  lady  purchased,  it  is  said,  some  essential 
oil  of  bitter  almonds  to  scent  pomatum,  made  use  of  some  for 
the  purpose,  and  left  the  bottle  on  the  kitchen  table,  some  time, 
it  would  appear,  before  the  servants'  dinner  hour.  The  exact 
hour  is  not  stated,  but  we  may  presume  it  was  before  the  middle 
of  the  day.  Finding  the  bottle  on  the  table,  the  cook  took  it 
up  and  tasted  its  contents.  She  stated  that  she  merely  put  the 
bottle  to  her  lips,  but  did  not  swallow  any  of  the  contents.  It 
tasted  bitter,  and  she  ate  a  piece  of  bread  to  take  the  taste  out 
of  her  mouth.  She  saw  the  deceased  (a  page  boy,  aged  thirteen) 
take  up  the  bottle  and  put  it  to  his  lips,  and  she  took  it  away 
from  him.  The  boy  told  her  he  did  not  swallow  any  of  the 
contents.  Shortly  after  this  the  servants  had  their  dinner,  and 
an  hour  afterwards  the  cook  was  taken  ill,  but  the  boy  went 
about  his  work  as  usual.  A  medical  man  who  was  sent  for 
found  the  cook  unconscious ;  was  told  that  she  had  swallowed 
some  oil  of  bitter  almonds,  so  he  administered  some  brandy, 
and  she  soon  rallied.    At  this  time  there  was  nothing  the  mat- 
