The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-01
M. OrfIIa on Nicotine.

From GaligDani's Messenger
At the last sitting OF the Academy Of Medicine,
Mt Paris, NJ. Orila's report nicotine was read.
This report, which confirms facts already known,
contains many observations of interest to che
misis and medical Jurisprudence, relative to the pro-
pcrti,s OF the poison and Of its traces after death.
According to this document, nicotine was disco
vsred in 1909, by Nauquelin and is to be found in
different kinds Of ncotiana, in various proportions.
havana tobacco contains two per cent; that OF the
Nord, six; Virginia nearly seven, and that Of Lot,
eight. smokers, by inhaling the fumes of tobacco,
introduce INTO their system n certain quantity
Chough smalD Of poisonous, matter. Pure nicotine
pale ye ow color, which, after exposure, turns to
brown. Ii is very hot to the taste, and its acrid
smell slightly resembles that of tobacco; but when
v)atiized by heat it throws out characteristics va
Tors, which ale so oppressive that breathing be.
genes difficult IN aroom where drop OF the liquid
has been sp":. As POISONOUS SUBSTANCE nisotide
possesses excessive power. la experiments made
about ten years ago, in ten minutes NJ Orhlak Killed
many dogs, on the tongues of which he had applied
hvc drops of tais ak al with twelve dr. death
,nsued In tso minutes. But this powerful poison
cannot escape the invest cation Of men of art Pure
nicotine according TO the conclusions of Messrs.
OIila and Stas) has certain characters by which it
Is detected rs easily as mineral poison. IL can be
Discovered IN the digestive channel, and ITS exist
eDcc therein proved, though that channel contain
but a few drops. Ard even when the poisonous
substance has been absoi bed-when IL has passed
n, the other organs-it still be discovered in
Hose organs, and especially in the liver. NJ Orala
mas Ilcu. Oh the UNcr OF pOisOntu WIN
twelve fifteen drops of nicotine. tvo methods Of
chemical analysis which he describes, and he has
invariably succeeded in procuring certain quantities
81 he posOns sought for.
M. Stas. by making use Of a third method on the
body of Gus'avus fougnies, extracted nicotine from
the tongue, the stomach, and liquid contained
therein; he also found In the liver and lungs
lie moreover obtained IL from the wood flooring of
the timing room in which Gustave died, although
that flooring had been washed with soap, oil, and
warm water and in his learned investigation the
Belgian toxicoiogt had received no indication from
the Judge obstruction. Before he was informed
that Bocamc bal been making experiments relative
to tobacco and nicotine, he had already found that
IL poison introduced into the body of the victim
was neither sulphuric acid (as had been supposedly
nor acetic acid, but either coDicine OF nicotine.
The progress which medical jurisconsuts have
made recently, is so great, that poisoning by NOR
Jbine stry cbnne, prussic acid and other vegetable
substances, hitherto regarded inaccessible to our
means Of investigation, may now be detected and
Iccogi zed in the most incoLt estiblc manner.
M. Orhla, in closing his notice, might well say,
=" After there results of judicial medical invest-
CATION, the public need be under no apprehension
No doubt intelligent and clever criminals, with a
view TO tbwart the surgeons, will sometimes have
recourse to very active pDisons little known by the
mass, and difficult Of detection, but scence is on
the alert, and soon overcomes oil difficulty; pene-
trstipg into the utmost depths of our organs, 1t
brings out the proof Of the crime, and furnishes
one Of the greatest pieces of evidence against the
guilty"
There we're las deaths in Philadelphia, during the
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