A^Jo0bUerr  Pi93ir9m"  }  Detection  of  Cocaine,  Heroine  and  Veronal  663 
actual  veronal.  Confirmation  of  the  presence  of  veronal  may  be 
obtained  by  adding  a  small  portion  of  the  extract  to  a  little  fused 
potassium  hydroxide,  when  ammonia  should  be  evolved  and  the 
residue  yield  effervescence  of  carbon  dioxide  and  a  curious  fatty 
odour  on  treatment  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid.  The  Prussian-blue 
test  with  ferrous  sulphate  and  the  pink  color  with  copper  sulphate 
mentioned  in  the  B.P.  are  not  so  satisfactory  in  toxicological  tests. 
Millon's  reagent  (mercury  dissolved  in  dilute  nitric  acid)  gives  a 
white  gelatinous  precipitate  which  dissolves  in  excess  of  the  reagent. 
Ammoniacal  copper  sulphate  -f-  veronal  evaporated  to  dryness 
on  a  microscope  slide  gives  pink  to  violet  crystals  that  are  fairly 
definite  when  compared  with  control  slides  (Tunmann,  Apoth.  Zeit., 
1917,  32,  289-299 ;  and  Analyst,  1918,  43,  67) .  I  find  that  a  solution 
of  veronal  in  dilute  ammonia,  when  evaporated,  yields  long  crystals 
with  serrated  edges,  markedly  differing  from  those  yielded  by  trional 
and  sulphonal  under  the  same  conditions. 
Sulphonal,  (CH3)2C(C2H5S02)2; 
Trional,  CH3C2H5C(C2H5S02)2 ; 
Tetronal,  ( C2H5 ) 2C  (  C2H5S02 )  2. 
These  are  all  white  crystalline  substances  of  similar  type  and 
reactions,  and  are  much  less  toxic  than  veronal,  being  frequently 
employed  as  hypnotics.  The  B.P.  gives  the  doses  as  from  10  to  20 
grains  for  trional  and  tetronal,  and  from  10  to  30  grains  for  sul- 
phonal, whilst  considerably  larger  amounts  would  be  required  to 
produce  fatal  results. 
They  are  best  identified  by  their  melting-points,  these  being: 
sulphonal,  1250  C. ;  trional,  750  C. ;  and  tetronal,  850  C.  As  a  class 
these  sulphones  are  sparingly  soluble  in  water,  but  much  more  so 
in  alcohol.  When  heated  strongly  they  yield  sulphur  dioxide,  with 
fused  potassium  cyanide  they  give  an  odor  of  mercaptan,  whilst 
with  fused  sodium  acetate  they  evolve  hydrogen  sulphide. 
Heroine,  di-acetyl  morphine,  C21N23N05,  formed  by  the  action 
of  acetic  anhydride  on  morphine. 
Originally  introduced  as  a  substitute  for  morphine,  is  has  recently 
gained  notoriety  on  account  of  its  use  by  certain  drug-takers.  The 
hydrochloride  of  the  alkaloid  is  the  form  in  which  it  is  most  fre- 
quently employed,  and,  like  the  corresponding  cocaine  salt,  it  is 
usually  taken  as  a  snuff.  Consequently,  where  this  poison  or  cocaine 
is  suspected,  swabs  should  be  taken  from  the  mucous  membrane  of 
