1 26     DETECTION  OP  PHOSPHORUS  IN  CASES  OF  POISONING. 
Oocatannic  acid.  After  precipitating  the  cocaina  by  carbon- 
ate of  soda  as  above,  the  dark  red  filtrate  is  freed  from  ether, 
neutralized  by  nitric  acid,  the  sulphuric  acid  removed  by  nitrate 
of  baryta,  the  excess  of  the  latter  by  carbonate  of  ammonia, 
and  the  liquid  neutralized  by  nitric  acid  ;  acetate  of  lead  now 
produced  a  voluminous  dirty  brownish  green  precipitate,  which 
was  decomposed  by  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  yielded  a  clear 
yellowish  red  solution  of  slightly  astringent  taste,  reddening  lit- 
mus and  giving  the  following  reactions  :  Alkalies  and  their  car- 
bonates, a  deep  red  color  ;  sesquichioride  of  iron,  a  dark  brownish 
yellow  color;  glue  and  bichloride  of  mercury,  no  turbidity  ;  the 
nitrates  of  mercury,  dirty  yellow  precipitates,  soluble  in  acids  ; 
tartar  emetic,  a  flocculent,  brownish  yellow  precipitate  ;  albumen, 
dirty  yellow ;  acetate  of  baryta  and  lead,  dirty  yellow,  soluble 
in  acetic  acid;  terchloride  of  gold,  dark  brown  precipitate,  soon 
after  a  mirror  of  metallic  gold  ;  nitrate  of  silver,  a  turbidity,  on 
heating  a  dirty  yellow  precipitate,  afterwards  a  dark  brown 
powder  ;  hydrochlorate  of  cocaina,  no  turbidity.  The  tannin 
solution  reduced  chromate  of  potassa,  and  on  boiling,  also,  Feh- 
ling's  solution  of  copper ;  it  dried  on  evaporation  to  a  transpa- 
rent brownish  red  mass,  containing  some  inorganic  matter. 
The  filtrate  from  the  precipitate  with  acetate  of  lead,  yielded 
with  subacetate  of  lead  a  yolk  yellow  precipitate,  apparently 
containing  the  same  tannin  partly  modified  through  the  influence 
of  the  nitric  acid. 
Odorous  principle.  On  distilling  100  grm.  of  the  leaves,  a 
slightly  turbid  distillate  was  obtained,  which,  on  redistilling  it 
with  chloride  of  sodium,  yielded  white  globular  masses,  lighter 
than  water  and  possessing  the  peculiar  tea-like  strong  odor  of 
the  leaves ;  the  quantity  was  insufficient  for  further  analysis. 
J.  M.  M. 
ON  THE  DETECTION  OF  PHOSPHORUS  IN  CASES  OF  POISONING. 
By  Dr.  C.  Herzog. 
The  author  has  made  experiments  with  the  various  methods 
suggested,  and  refers  particularly  to  Mitscherlich's  process  and 
some  slight  modifications  of  it ;  he  then  continues  :  But  if  thus 
no  phosphorus  could  be  discovered  in  a  corpse,  the  possibility  of 
poisoning  by  it  is  not  excluded ;  we  can  imagine  that  it  may  have 
