234 
ON  THE  COLOR-TESTS  OF  STRYCHNIA,  ETC. 
mixture  in  a  state  of  commencing  decomposition.  Consequently, 
after  separating  the  chloroform  and  caustic  solutions  from  each 
other,  I  added  acetic  acid  to  the  latter,  drop  by  drop,  until  it 
was  neutralized.  Then  a  solution  of  tannic  acid  was  added,  and 
the  precipitated  tannate  was  collected  and  dissolved  in  acetic 
acid.  The  solution  afforded  a  red  color  with  nitric  acid,  and  a 
rich  blue  color  with  the  persulphate  of  iron,  and  was,  moreover, 
very  bitter  to  the  taste.  Thus  establishing,  conclusively,  the 
presence  of  morphia. 
Having  entirely  satisfied  my  own  mind,  by  the  foregoing  ex- 
periments, that  no  inherent  difficulties  exist  in  the  detection  of 
strychnia  by  the  color-tests  when  it  is  associated  with  morphia 
and  involved  in  a  great  mass  of  animal  and  vegetable  matters, 
I  might  with  propriety  dismiss  the  subject.  But  as  so  large  a 
quantity  as  a  grain  of  the  poison  might  not  be  found  in  the 
stomach  after  death,  in  consequence  of  the  use  of  emetic  reme- 
dies, or  the  partial  absorption  of  what  had  been  swallowed,  I 
concluded  to  try  the  process  on  a  much  smaller  scale,  and  ac- 
cordingly performed,  as  follows  : — 
Uxpt.  8.  Two  ounces  of  minced-meat  (similar  to  that  used  in 
experiments  4,  5,  6,  and  7),  and  two  ounces  of  bread,  were 
macerated  eight  hours  in  four  fluidounces  of  water,  holding  in 
solution  one-hundredth  of  a  grain  of  strychnia,  and  one-thirty- 
third  of  a  grain  of  the  sulphate  of  morphia.* 
Half  a  fluidounce  of  acetic  acid,  with  an  equal  measure  of 
water,  was  added,  and  the  mixture  set  aside  for  six  hours.  It 
was  then  strained,  with  pressure,  and  filtered.  The  remaining 
clear  liquid  was  divided  into  two  portions,  a  and  b. 
One  portion  (a)  was  placed  in  a  capsule  in  a  current  of  air  at 
70°,  and  thus  evaporated  to  a  syrupy  consistence.  It  was 
treated  with  the  caustic  solution  and  chloroform,  as  in  the  former 
cases  ;  and,  upon  careful  application  of  the  tests  to  the  film  ob- 
tained by  evaporating  the  chloroform,  clear  and  undoubted 
*These  minute  quantities  were  obtained  with  great  accuracy  by  dissolv- 
ing one  grain  of  the  former,  and  three  grains  of  the  latter,  in  fifty 
fluidrachms  of  water,  acidulated  by  a  few  drops  of  acetic  acid.  Half  a 
fluidrachm  of  this  solution  contained  gr.  l-100th  of  strychnia  and  gr. 
l-33thofthe  sulphate  of  morphia. 
