POISONING  BY  COLCHICUM. 
541 
necessary.  The  report  of  this  chemical  examination  is  by  Mr. 
Schacht ;  at  the  same  time  on  the  investigation  of  H.  Rose,  an 
analysis  was  made  by  Dr.  Wittstack. 
The  best  result  to  attain  colchicin  was  in  the  following :  i  oz. 
tinct.  sem.  colch.  with  4  drops  acetum  concent,  was  evaporated 
at  30°  R.  (100*  F.)  dissolved  in  |  oz.  aq.  destill.,  separated 
from  the  oil,  added  10  grs.  magnes.  usta,  well  shaken  ;  after 
several  hours  2  oz.  of  ether  was  added,  well  shaken,  the  ethereal 
liquid  evaporated  spontaneously,  the  residue  taken  up  with  water, 
some  fat  separated,  filtered  and  in  a  watch  crystal  evaporated, 
when  by  its  reaction  it  was  proven  to  be  colchicin,  with  a  little 
fatty  acid  adhering  to  or  combined  with  it. 
The  contents  of  the  stomach  were  mixed  with  large  quantities 
of  alcohol,  mixed  with  a  few  drops  of  muriatic  acid,  filtered, 
evaporated  at  100°  F.  to  a  thin  syrup,  dissolved  in  distilled 
water  separated  from  the  fat,  carefully  evaporated  and  alcohol 
added  until  a  precipitate  ceased  to  appear ;  then  evaporated,  dis- 
solved in  distilled  water,  filtered,  evaporated  to  about  1  oz.,  J-  dr. 
magnes.  usta  added,  and  afterwards  3  oz.  ether.  This  was 
filtered,  evaporated  spontaneously,  dissolved  in  water,  separated 
from  the  fat,  and  then  evaporated  in  a  watch  crystal,  when  the 
residue  showed  properties  and  reactions  of  colchicin. 
According  to  the  above,  the  author  thinks  it  will  henceforth  be 
possible  to  discover  and  prove  poisoning  by  colchicum,  which  is 
very  important,  as  by  the  above  most  careful  examinations  it  is 
doubtless  that  colchicin,  the  alkaloid  of  colchicum,  is  one  of  the 
most  deadly  poisons.  Worthy  of  notice  are  the  following  expres- 
sions of  Mr.  Schacht  in  this  regard  : — 
"  It  is  remarkable  how  small  a  quantity  colchicin  has  a 
deadly  effect  on  the  human  being.  Each  of  the  four  victims  is 
said  to  have  taken  about  a  wine  glassful  of  the  officinal  tinct. 
sem.  colchici.  Suppose  the  demijohn  to  have  been  full,  each 
one  could  not  have  taken  over  four  ounces,  which  are  equal  to 
loz.  of  the  seed.  Mr.  Mueller  obtained  from  16  oz.  of  seed 
5  grs.  colchicin.  This  may  be  less  than  the  real  amount  of 
alkaloid,  but  on  the  other  hand,  the  lawful  recipe  for  the  pre- 
paration of  this  tincture  is  not  for  the  complete  exhaustion  of 
the  seed.  Accordingly,  each  one  had  taken  to  the  utmost  \  or  \ 
grain  of  colchicin  at  once,  and  such  a  dose  was  sufficient  to  cause 
death  in  a  short  time." — Archiv.  d.  Pharm.  1855,  1-24. 
