DETECTING  THE  ORGANIC  ALKALOIDS  IN  CASES  OF  POISONING.  51 
alkaloids,  to  separate  them,  and  then  we  look  for  them  in  the  char- 
coal. See  notice  of  Graham  and  Hofmann's  Process  for  Detecting 
Strychnia:  Monthly  Journal,  August,  1852,  p.  140;  Pharmaceu- 
tical Journal,  vol.  xi.,  p.  504,  May,  1852.] 
The  above  observations  do  not  proceed  from  speculative  ideas 
only,  but  are  the  result  of  a  pretty  long  series  of  experiments 
which  I  have  several  times  employed  for  discovering  these  organic 
alkaloids.  To  put  in  practice  the  principles  which  I  have  thus 
explained,  the  following  is  the  method  in  which  I  propose  to  set 
about  such  an  analysis  : — I  suppose  that  we  wish  to  look  for  an 
alkaloid  in  the  contents  of  the  stomach  or  intestines  ;  we  commence 
by  adding  to  these  matters  twice  their  weight  of  pure  and  very 
strong  alcohol  :*  we  add  afterwards,  according  to  the  quantity  and 
nature  of  the  suspected  matter,  from  ten  to  thirty  grains  of  tartaric 
or  oxalic  acid — in  preference  tartaric;  we  introduce  the  mixture 
into  a  flask,  and  heat  it  to  160°  or  170°  Fahrenheit.  After  it 
has  completely  cooled  it  is  to  be  filtered,  the  insoluble  residue 
washed  with  strong  alcohol,  and  the  filtered  liquid  evaporated  in 
vacuo.  If  the  operator  has  not  an  air-pump,  the  liquid  is  to  be 
exposed  to  a  strong  current  of  air  at  a  temperature  of  not  more 
than  90°  Fahrenheit.  If,  after  the  volatilization  of  the  alcohol, 
the  residue  contains  fatty  or  other  insoluble  matters,  the  liquid  is 
to  be  filtered  a  second  time,  and  then  the  filtrate  and  washings 
of  the  filter  evaporated  in  the  air-pump  till  nearly  dry.  If  we  have 
no  air-pump,  it  is  to  be  placed  under  a  bell-jarover  a  vessel  contain- 
ing concentrated  sulphuric  acid.  We  are  then  to  treat  the  residue 
with  cold  anhydrous  alcohol,  taking  care  to  exhaust  the  substance 
thoroughly  ;  we  evaporate  the  alcohol  in  the  open  air  at  the  ordinary 
temperature,  or  still  better,  in  vacuo;  we  now  dissolve  the  acid 
residue  in  the  smallest  possible  quantity  of  water,  and  introduce 
the  solution  into  a  small  test-tube,  and  add  little  by  little  pure 
powdered  bicarbonate  of  soda  or  potash,  till  a  fresh  quantity  pro- 
duces no  further  effervescence  of  carbonic  acid.    We  then  agitate 
*  When  we  wish  to  look  for  an  alkaloid  in  the  tissue  of  an  organ,  as  the 
liver,  heart,  or  lungs,  we  must  first  divide  the  organ  into  very  small  frag- 
ments, moisten  the  mass  with  pure  strong  alcohol,  then  express  strongly, 
and  by  further  treatment  with  alcohol  exhaust  the  tissue  of  everything 
soluble.  The  liquid  so  obtained,  is  to  be  treated  in  the  same  way  as  a  mix- 
ture of  suspected  matter  and  alcohol. 
