MEANS  OF  RECOGNIZING  THE  SOURCE  OF  AN  ALCOHOL.  448 
ral  force  are  prominent  effects  of  large  doses  ;  but  even  when 
these  are  sufficient  to  cause  death,  neither  muscular  stiff- 
ness nor  convulsions  ever  occur.  The  latter  symptoms, 
however,  are  the  special  characteristics  of  the  action  of  vera- 
tria.  For  the  purpose  of  comparison,  Oulmont  examined  the 
action  of  veratrum  album.  He  found  that  it  is  distinguished 
from  that  of  V.  viride  by  the  greater  violence  of  its  effects  on 
the  digestive  system,  where  it  always  produces  inflammatory 
lesions,  and  by  the  greater  rapidity  of  its  action.  Finally,  the 
action  of  the  alkaloid  veratria,  was  investigated  with  the  some- 
what unexpected  result,  that  it  is  not  the  true  active  principle 
of  veratrum.  Some  V.  viride  was  completely  freed  from  the 
alkaloid,  and  an  ordinary  dose  given  to  an  animal;  the  effects 
were  in  all  respects  the  same  as  those  of  the  usual  preparations. 
Oulmont  concludes  that  veratrum  viride  is  a  cardiac  poison 
analogous  to  digitalis,  from  which  it  is  distinguished  by  its  ex- 
traordinary rapidity  of  action.  The  investigation  is  of  special 
interest  as,  until  now,  a  considerable  amount  of  uncertainty  has 
existed  as  to  its  exact  physiological  action. — Amer.  Journ. 
Med.  Set:,  July,  1868,  from  Journ.  Anat.  and  Phys.,  May,  1868. 
ON  THE  MEANS  OF  RECOGNIZING  THE  SOURCE  OF  AN 
ALCOHOL. 
♦ 
The  source  of  an  alcohol  is  usually  ascertained  by  pouring  a 
small  quantity  into  the  palm  of  the  hand,  and  allowing  it  to 
evaporate  ;  as  the  alcohol  is  more  volatile  than  the  empyreuma, 
the  odor  of  the  latter  reveals  the  origin  of  the  alcohol  when  the 
evaporation  is  almost  terminated.  But  this  process  is  very  im- 
perfect, as  the  alcohol  may  dissolve  fatty  substances  from  the 
hand,  which  will  modify  its  odor.  It  is  better  to  operate  in  a 
glass  or  porcelain  capsule ;  but  the  following  plan  is  still  more 
safe : — Mix  the  alcohol  with  an  equal  quantity  of  ether,  and 
then  add  a  volume  of  water  equal  to  that  of  the  mixture.  The 
ether  dissolves  the  empyreuma,  and  carries  it  with  it  when  sep- 
arating with  the  rest  of  the  liquid.  Then  evaporate  this  ether 
in  a  porcelain  capsule,  and  the  residue  gives  the  empyreumatic 
odor  so  characteristic  that  it  cannot  be  mistaken.    Rum,  arrack 
