MODE  OF  ANALYSIS   FOR  THE  ORGANIC  POISONS.  449 
The  proteine  substances  are  readily  coagulable,  and  in  this  state 
they  become  insoluble  in  water,  alcohol,  acids,  &c. 
The  colored  or  coloring  matters  are  easily  changed  by  various 
acids  and  alkaline  agents,  anhydrous  lime  and  baryta  for  instance, 
without  mentioning  heat. 
The  fatty  substances  are  separated  with  ease  from  all  the  other 
matters  by  alcohol  and  ether. 
Now  if  any  inorganic  substance  be  mixed  with  organic  sub- 
stances, there  is  nothing  more  easy  than  to  discover  it.  The  organic 
substance  is  burnt,  the  inorganic  principle  is  brought  to  the  state 
of  a  soluble  compound  within  the  cinder,  and  then  extracted  with 
water.  The  process  of  carbonization  or  incineration  by  means  of 
sulphuric  acid  for  the  discovery  of  the  mineral  poisons  is  founded 
on  these  very  simple  data. 
But  if  the  substance  which  it  is  necessary  to  separate  from 
animal  matters  be  combustible,  or  capable  of  essential  modifica- 
tion by  heat,  the  course  is  not  so  clear.  The  following  is  the  pro- 
cess proposed : — 
To  100  parts  of  the  substance  to  be  examined,  12  parts  of  anhy- 
drous lime  or  baryta  are  to  be  added,  and  the  whole  pounded  to- 
gether in  a  mortar.  The  mixture  is  then  to  be  heated  to  212°  F., 
then  pulverized,  either  with  the  pestle,  or  with  a  special  apparatus 
appropriated  to  this  operation,  which  is  very  essential  ;  the  powder 
is  to  be  treated  with  boiling  anhydrous  alcohol  three  times,  filter- 
ing the  liquid  after  cooling.  This  liquid  as  it  leaves  the  filter  is 
scarcely  colored  ;  it  only  contains  the  proximate  principle  or  prin- 
ciples sought  for  with  the  fatty  or  resinous  matters. 
The  alcohol  is  now  slowly  evaporated, and  the  dry  residue  treated 
with  ether  to  remove  the  fatty  matters.  If  the  principle  be  insol- 
uble in  ether  (morphine,  strychnine,  brucine,)  it  will  be  separated 
in  the  fluid,  and  maybe  obtained  by  filtration  or  simple  decantation. 
If  it  be  soluble  in  ether,  the  alcoholic  residue  or  the  ethereal  fluid 
must  be  treated  with  a  special  solvent  of  the  organic  bases,  such 
as  acetic  acid,  precipitating  the  base  afterwards  by  ammonia. 
To  100  grms.  of  animal  matter,  the  author  added  a  single  grain 
or  0.05  grm.  of  morphine,  strychnine  and  brucine  ;  and  by  operat- 
ing in  the  manner  just  described,  succeeded  in  obtaining,  in  a  state 
of  absolute  purity,  a  ponderable  quantity  of  each  of  those  princi- 
ples.    Instead  of  strychnine,  morphine  and  brucine,  the  author 
31 
