Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-03-16

The residues left on the evaporation Of
the chloroform weighed:
J. T. Holloman's Stomach.
Stomach itself ......... :. 80. ,O19 of a or.
Remains of contents of
stomach ........ ............ .19 Rr.
Same calculated for whole
OF original amount Of
contents Of Stomach. .273 gr.
]. W. Hines Stomach.
Stomach ITSELF. ......-.... .012 gr.
Contents of Stomach.... .O7l gr.
T. w. Adams Stomach.
Stomach itself 80. ............ 026 or.
Portions of the contents
AID of Stomach ...... $50. .O543 =" or.
Same calculated for whole
of original contents. .847 IS Or
These residues were almost perfectly
colorless. CLASSY or gummy in appearance,
with signs of disqualification in the case Of
that extracted from the contents of
Adams stomach. No odor, either in a
dry state or on moistening or heating un-
til complete decomposition took place
They were most carefully tested. The
very peenliar taste with singing and
numbInp fleet upon the tongue which IS
cha cteiistic of
A oNITINE, WAS DISTINCTLY OBJ
TANNED
in the residue from each Of the six speci-
mems. In the residue from the stomach
of Adams, the bromine test was also used,
an, in the residue from the contents of
all thee stomachs the action of nitric
acid, salphurlc acid, sulphuric acid with
bi chromate Of potash. caustic soda. chic
ride of gold. chloride of platinum, picric
acid, iodine dissolved In iodide OF POTASH
um and bromipe dissolved in hydro -bromic
acid was also observed in all nine tests
and all showed Aconitine.
EFFECTS OF ACoNITINE ON TEE EYE.
tried to examine the physiological
effect on the pupils of the eyes. Of the
chloroform residues, but an extremely
minute particle produced such excessive
irritation and pain that it had to be wash
ed out at once. The smarting and produc-
/ ton of tears lasted for an hour or more.
and the injected condition Of the eye ball
did not disappear for over twanty-four
hours. [Prof. Mallet here explained to the
frmatory of Aconitine. and read from
Prof. Alderright's Of London on the sub
ject.l
PARALLEL EXPERIMENTS.
In order to be quite sure of the appear
| aDces presented on using the above tests
for Aconi; inc and the other alkaloids,
most nearly resembling it, made COM
plete set of parallel experiments with two
/ specimens Of genuine Aconitine. the one
of English manufacture (Morson 81 and
the other French two specimens Of Hy-
oscyamin, the one of German, the other
{, of French make; and one specimen of
well crystalized Atropine (Freneh.) The
results we're entirely confirmatory of the
belief that the alkaloid extracted from the
remains of the deceased persons was AGO
Eitine.
Cross eransined.-I did not proceed on
any theory as to a particular poison. was
guided, notwithstanding, to some extent,
by the symptoms attending the deaths.
but these did lot in the first instance in
cline my mind as much to the probability
OF Aconitine being the poison concerned
as in some other directions.
WHAT AcoN1TINE Is-ITs DEADLY
| PROPERTIES
Aconitine is the active principle of the
Aconiteroot- Strictly speaking roots of
| two or three species of Aconite are In me.
dicin.l use, and in these at least two or
I, three distinct alkaloids are found; and the
Aconitine of commerce is usually varia-
BILE mixture of these alkaloids. Two out
OF the three which have been best examin-
ed are very much more active, physiologi-
c,lly, than the third. The Aconitine as
| found in drug stores is white. or yellow
lsh white powder, either uncrystal zed or
imperfectly crystalized. The fitch of a
grain Is recorded to have prod uced dang
erous symptoms. The commercial form of
Aeonitine is used incidentally but spar
ingly and with great caut ion. Taking the
recorded statement as correct that one
fiftieth of grain of Aconitine has been
known to endanger life, the quantities of
the alkaloid extracted from the contents
| of the stomachs of Holloman and Adams,
| assuming that they were in a state of
purity. tthey undoubtedly were not far
from purel may certainly be taken as ca
pable of producing fatal results.
In common with all sub sances of this
class the name is sometimes written with
the termination ',ine,'' sometimes "ia, u
| so that the names Aconitine aud Aeoni,ia
mean the same thing. Further, special
names have been conferred upon the dis
tlnct alkaloids found in Aconite root to
which have already referred; but these
are not in commercial use. Aconitine is
used both seldom and In small Quantities
by ply sicians.
THE FORM IN WHICH 1T WAS ADMIN
IsTERFD.
Q.-Could you tell from the ANALYSIS
made, in what form tire Aconltine was
administered to the deceased.
Ans No. 1t might have been in the
form Of the afkaloid itself, or that of one
Of it's salts, or one of the ordinary medi CT
nal preparations-tincture, fluid, or solid
extract, &c. of the crude plant. root or leaf.
The, symptoms exhibited by the deceas-
ed, as have heard them described accord
fairly with the idea of da.th having been
due to poisoning by Ac ,nitine in some
form. bne am surprised at the rapidity
with which the fatal result was reached
in three of the cases, including two of the
cases chemically examined Holloma an and
Adams.
THE PRESSING OF CTILORAL.
From the contanta of Adapno, utorcoob