MAGNESIUM,  ITS  PREPARATION,  ETC* 
359 
The  muscles,  viscera,  and  bones  of  a  dog,  poisoned  with  a 
grain  of  strychnine,  were  separately  subjected  to  analysis,  thir- 
teen months  after  interment.  Strychnine  was  discovered  in 
every  instance. 
The  organs  and  contents  of  stomach  of  a  rabbit,  poisoned  by 
half  a  grain  of  strychnine,  yielded  that  alkaloid  in  each  analysis. 
The  viscera  and  contents  of  stomach  of  a  rabbit  poisoned  by 
half  a  grain  of  strychnine  and  five  grains  of  tartar  emetic, 
yielded  antimony  and  strychnine  also  in  each  analysis. 
The  body  of  this  rabbit  was  allowed  to  decompose  in  contact 
with  air  for  nine  months.  When  dry,  the  bones  separated,  and 
all  the  other  tissues,  almost  pulverulent,  subjected  to  the  mode 
of  analysis  described  by  us  for  the  bones,  yielded  abundance  of 
strychnine. 
From  the  results  of  the  foregoing  experiments,  we  cannot 
avoid  the  following  conclusions  : — 
(1.)  That  the  opinion,  that  strychnine  can  only  be  detected 
when  the  poison  is  in  excess,  is  untenable,  and  not  supported  by 
trustworthy  analyses. 
(2.)  That  the  opinion,  that  strychnine  is  decomposed  in  the 
process  of  destruction  of  life,  is  founded  on  the  results  of  analyses 
made  by  imperfect  processes,  and  hence  is  unsound  and  unphilo- 
sophical. 
(3.)  That  strychnine  can  always  be  detected,  when  it  has  oc- 
casioned death,  in  the  blood,  organs,  and  tissues  of  the  body, 
quite  independently  of  the  contents  of  the  stomach. 
(4.)  That  it  is  found  unchanged  in  the  urine. 
(5.)  That  the  delicacy  of  the  reactions  of  strychnine,  and  its  % 
extraordinary  stable  qualities,  render  its  detection  more  certain 
than  any  other  poison. — London  Pharm.  Journ.,  April,  1857. 
ON  MAGNESIUM,  ITS  PREPARATION  AND  VOLATILIZATION. 
By  MM.  Hi  Sainte  Claire  Deville  and  Caron. 
The  chemical  properties  of  magnesium  have  been  determined 
with  great  perfection  by  M.  Bussy,  who  discovered  this  metal, 
and  all  the  experiments  since  made  have  confirmed  his  results. 
One  of  the  physical  properties  of  magnesium,  however,  has 
