Chapter IV: Part II: I. Definition of Poison

14. The Legal Definition of Poison--English Law as to Poison, 20, 21
15. German Law as to Poisoning--French Law as to Poisoning, 21, 22
16. Scientific Definition of a Poison--The Author’s
Definition, 22, 23

II. CLASSIFICATION OF POISONS.

17. Foderé’s, Orfila’s, Casper’s, Taylor’s, and Guy’s Definition of
Poisons--Poisons arranged according to their Prominent
Effects, 23, 24
18. Kobert’s Classification, 24, 25
19. The Author’s Arrangement, 25-28

III. STATISTICS.

20. Statistics of Poisoning in England and Wales during the Ten
Years 1883-92--Various Tables, 28-31
21. German Statistics of Poisoning, 31-33
22. Criminal Poisoning in France, 33, 34

IV. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN TOXIC ACTION AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION.

23. The Influence of Hydroxyl--The Replacement of Hydrogen by a
Halogen--Bamberger’s Acylic and Aromatic Bases, 35, 36
24. The Replacement of Hydrogen by Alkyls in Aromatic Bodies, 36-38
25. The Influence of Carbonyl Groups, 39
26. Oscar Loew’s Theory as to the Action of Poisons, 39-41
27. Michet’s Experiments on the relative Toxicity of Metals, 41, 42

V. LIFE TESTS: OR THE IDENTIFICATION OF POISON BY EXPERIMENTS
ON ANIMALS.

28. The Action of Poisons on Infusoria, Cephalopoda, Insects, 42-44
29. Effect of Poisons on the Heart of Cold-blooded Animals, 44, 45
30. The Effect of Poisons on the Iris, 45, 46

VI. GENERAL METHOD OF PROCEDURE IN SEARCHING FOR POISON.

31. Concentration in a Vacuum--Drying the Substance--Solvents--
Destruction of Organic Matter, 46-50
32. Autenrieth’s General Process--Distillation--Shaking up with
Solvents--Isolation of Metals--Investigation of Sulphides
Soluble in Ammonium Sulphide--of Sulphides Insoluble in Ammonium
Sulphide--Search for Zinc and Chromium--Search for Lead, Silver,
and Barium, 50-53

VII. THE SPECTROSCOPE AS AN AID TO THE IDENTIFICATION OF
CERTAIN POISONS.

33. The Micro-Spectroscope--Oscar Brasch’s Researches of the Spectra
of Colour Reactions--Wave Lengths, 54-56

_Examination of Blood or of Blood-Stains._

34. Naked-eye Appearance of Blood-Stains--Dragendorff’s Process for
Dissolving Blood, 56, 57
35. Spectroscopic Appearances of Blood--Spectrum of Hydric Sulphide
Blood--of Carbon Oxide Hæmoglobin--Methæmoglobin--of Acid
Hæmatin--Tests for CO Blood--Piotrowski’s Experiments on CO
Blood--Preparation of Hæmatin Crystals--The Guaiacum Test for
Blood, 57-62
36. Distinction between the Blood of Animals and Men--The Alkalies
in various Species of Blood, 62, 63