Principles of forensic medicine / by William A. Guy and David Ferrier.

Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Principles of forensic medicine / by William A. Guy and David Ferrier. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    IN ORGANIC SUBSTANCES. by Dr. John Traill * Dr. George Harley, Dr. W9rmley, and others. Dr Wormleyt gives an account of some experiments on a small species of frog (Rana halecina), from which it appears that when a solution of strychnine was introduced into the stomach, quantities of strychnine much less than 7io\joth grain produced characteristic effects. After the application of a solution to the skin of the back, or better, subcutaneous injection, in a period of time varying from one or two minutes to a quarter of an hour or more, the character- istic tetanic convulsions show themselves, and recur every time the table is shaken, or the frog touched. In many cases the frog utters a shriek or cry like that' of pain. When the dose is large, the symptoms show themselves almost immediately, and death takes place in a few minutes. When the dose is smaller, the symptoms come on after an interval of a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, and the animal may recover. The characteristic symptom is generally ushered in by a state of evident distress, with panting respiration and protruding eye. 3. In Organic Substances. Strychnine may be extracted from organic substances by the Stas-Otto process described above (p. 353). In the case of strych- nine, chloroform (Rodgers and Girdwood) or benzene (Bloxam) may be advantageously substituted for ether as the solvent. Both are better solvents of strychnine than ether, and benzene, though a less perfect solvent than chloroform, has the two-fold advantage of being lighter than water, and leaving a crystalline deposit of a more marked character. Graham and Hoffmann have shown that strychnine may be separated from beer containing it by means of animal charcoal. The beer is mixed with charcoal and allowed to stand, with frequent shaking, for twelve or more hours. The char- coal is then washed with water, boiled with alcohol, the alcohol evaporated, the residue made alkaline with caustic soda and shaken up with ether. Strychnine is left in a condition fit for the application of tests. Strychnine may be detected in the contents of the alimentary canal, in the muscles and viscera, and in the blood and urine. Gay (' Centralblatt f. d. med. Wissensch., 1867, p. 49) has been able to detect it in the pons Varolii, medulla oblongata, and spinal cord. • Messrs. Rodgers and Girdwood also state that they detected it in the bones. There is no doubt that strychnine, like arsenic, anti- mony, and mercury, undergoes no change in the alimentary canal, in the vessels of the body, or in the secreting organs; but that it can be detected in them by chemical research skilfully conducted. Nor does strychnine suffer decomposition in bodies which have undergone putrefaction ; for Rieckher obtained evidence of its pre- sence in tissues mixed with small quantities of the poison after * 'Lancet,' July 12,1856. f ' Chemical News,' April 28, 1860. L L 2'