The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-03-20

soluble In water. and which are also
not parts OF the poison. l am talking
or course. of strychnine now. Their
his is separated and the purified por.
ton rs heated and reduced to a sirup
condition and washed in alcohol. BY
this time the chemist has gotten rid OF
about all the impurities i'm the mass, and
is ready to make the first tests. His
idea from the beginning is TO exclude
everything but the poisons. IL any are
there.
He filters the product of the alco-
hoiic washing uses ordinary filter
paper, which resembles a hornets
nest in texture and color. The result
should be a colorless fluid. Fats ard
solids of all kinds have been eliminated
by this time. IL II is without color he
takes a drop and puts IL on a clean
porcelain plate and adds a drop of sui
phuric acid. IL IL colors the fluid still
has substances In IL which must be
eliminated before the test can be made
which is decisive. Sulphuric acid will
not color a solution Of ~strychnine.
When the acid produces no color. then
there is purity and the final test for
~strychnine. known as the aiding pur-
pie test, can be made. He takes a drop
OF the fluid and places IL on the por-
celain plate. Then he takes the need
les OF a ~galvanic battery and places
one In one side of this drop and passes
the other through or at the other side.
IL there is any strychnine there a pur-
pie color will appear. its intensity
depending on the amount OF the drug.
This color fades away after a time.
This test Is certain.
This il the process usually followed.
II varies principally in the agents used
in the various washes and not in the
methods. But the worst difficulty a
chemist has to confront is the lack of
cleanliness on the part of the men
who prepare the materials for his anal
ysis. They do a number of things they
should not do inc leave undone others
equally as important. The urgeon
who makes the autopsy should take
particular care to have his clean Jars
at hand n place the parts to be anal
wed in them as soon as removed from
the body. They should be sealed and
marked for identification and no pre-
caution be omitted to insure absolute
i~nyioiability of the contents. II the
suggestions of analysts were followed
always the results would in many
cases be more satisfactory"
Prof. John H.. Long of the North
university is also a toxicolo-
gist of reputation in Chicago. He has
made many examinations for poisons
and his reports on the discoveries as
well as lectures on the possibilities
OF chemical analysis are ergarded as
good authority. He explains what the
expert must do to get the most GER
results. |
"Poisons are usually referred to-"
Professor Long. "as organic and
inorganic. The classification Is not
very scientific. but is a good one prac-
.ically. Among the organic poisons we
may group the strong acids and al
kalis and some salts which. however.
are seldom administered with criminal
intent. The common inorganic poisons
pr mineral poisons. as they are often
,alled. are compounds of arsenic, lead.
anthony, copper. zinc and a few
'ther metals. Poisoning by some OF
.hese bodies Is not very common. Com
Dounds OF arsenic are most frequently
ised. because of their extreme toxic
behavior and because also OF the readi-
less with which they may be admin
stored Some OF them are colorless
md practically tasteless and therefore
'ould be taken without suspicion
The best known OF the organic poi
ons belong to h important group of
ilkaloids. We have her strychnine.
'rucin. found in nux vomic4: morphine,
In opium and the various prepa-
atoms made from IL. laudunum. for
Instance; aconitin. found in aconite or