724  Alleged  Poisoning  by  Potatoes.     {  Am  -0Jc0tur;  ^arm"  ' 
The  symptoms  in  the  above  epidemic  corresponded  closely  to 
those  exhibited  in  the  Continental  cases — namely,  headache,  vomit- 
ing, diarrhoea,  and  debility — one  case,  that  of  a  boy  of  five  years, 
terminating  fatally.  A  post-mortem  examination  showed  that  death 
was  due  to  strangulation  of  the  bowel,  a  condition  which,  in  the 
opinion  of  the  medical  men  who  conducted  the  post  mortem,  might 
have  been  caused  by  extreme  retching  and  vomiting.  The  viscera 
gave  no  indication  of  irritant  poisoning,  and  no  dilation  of  the  pupil 
was  noticed.  Investigation  showed  conclusively  that  all  the  persons 
affected  had  partaken  of  potatoes  obtained  from  one  source.  In 
some  households  those  persons  who  did  not  partake  of  the  potatoes 
were  unaffected,  whilst  those  who  did  subsequently  became  ill.  The 
potatoes  were  purchased  in  various  branches  of  a  cooperative  so- 
ciety in  the  district,  and  were  part  of  a  consignment  of  thirteen 
truck-loads  which  had  been  supplied  to  the  shops  in  question. 
A  sample  of  the  potatoes  which  had  been  in  use  in  the  household 
in  which  the  fatal  case  occurred  was  procured,  and  also  samples  pur- 
porting to  belong  to  the  same  consignment  from  the  shop.  As, 
previous  to  the  post  mortem,  it  was  considered  that  the  cricumstances 
pointed  to  an  irritant  poison,  these  potatoes  were  examined  for  min- 
eral poisons,  but  with  entirely  negative  results.  The  stomach  con- 
tents, viscera,  etc.,  from  the  fatal  case  were  also  shown  to  be  free 
from  mineral  poisons  on  examination. 
The  potatoes  were  normal  in  appearance,  firm  and  solid,  but  . 
some  on  being  cut  into  sections  possessed  a  brownish  indefinite  line 
near  the  periphery.    On  standing  for  a  short  time  the  sections  of  the 
potatoes  developed  a  much  more  decided  pink  color  than  other  sam- 
ples similarly  treated. 
As  the  buds  on  quite  a  number  of  the  potatoes  showed  evidence 
of  sprouting,  being  about  inch  in  length,  it  was  decided  to  de- 
termine the  quantity  of  solanine  they  contained. 
The  method  of  G.  Meyer4  was  employed  for  the  isolation  of  the 
solanine,  and  is  outlined  below 
500  Gm.  of  the  pared  potatoes  were  finely  divided  by  means  of 
a  grater,  and  the  liquid  portion  separated  by  pressing  in  a  muslin 
cloth,  the  grater  being  washed  with  small  quantities  of  distilled 
water.  After  standing  for  some  time  the  liquid  was  decanted  from 
the  separated  starch,  which  was  washed  with  small  quantities  of  dis- 
tilled water,  the  washings  being  added  to  the  original  liquid. 
4  Archiv  fur  Exper.  Path,  und  Pharmakol.,  1895,  p.  361. 
