Chapter XI: Aconite, and Aconitia, or Aconitine

Plants: Aconitum napellus—A. ferox. Alkaloids:
aconitia—Pseudaconitia—other bases—Decompositions—Proportions
in the plants. Commercial aconitia—German aconitia—English
aconitia. Separation—Tests, chemical and physiological.
History—Preparations, official and non-official. Physiological
effects—Causes of death—Post-mortem appearances—Treatment and
antidotes—Remarks 568

INDEX 583

ADDENDA.

A.

THE following is my own experience of the differences between strychnia and morphia.—C. G. S.

┌—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─—─—─┬—─—─—─—─—─—────────—─┬—─—─—─—───────—─—─┐
│ │ MORPHIA. │ STRYCHNIA. │
├—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─—─—─┼—─—─—─—─—─—────────—─┼—─—─—─—─—───────—─┤
│Concent. H_{2}SO_{4}—cold. │If pure, nothing at │If pure, nothing. │
│ │ first. │Some yellow─brown.│
│ ” ” warmed.│Violet, not strong. │ Do. │
│ To this warmed solution │ │ │
│add:— │ │ │
├—─—─—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─┼—─—─—─—─—─—────────—─┼—─—─—─—───────—─—─┤
│ MnO_{2}. │Red, changing slowly │_Deep blue purple_│
│ │ to brown, then │ —tored purple— │
│ │ orange. On dilution,│cherryred—finally │
│ │ yellow─brown. │(changes slow). On│
│ │ │ dilution, rich │
│ │ │ orange red. │
├—─—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─—─┼—─—────────—─—─—─—─—─┼—─—─—─—───────—─—─┤
│ K_{6}Cfy_{2}. │Violet, changing to │Same changes, but │
│ │ orange; not strong. │ more rapid and │
│ │ On dilution, at once│ less distinct. On│
│ │ destroyed to │ dilution, at once│
│ │ greenish─yellow │ destroyed to │
│ │ solution, turning │ greenish─yellow │
│ │blue. │ solution. │
├—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─—─—─┼—─—─—─—─—─—────────—─┼—─—─—───────—─—─—─┤
│ K_{2}Cr_{2}O_{7}. │Red─brown, │Same as with │
│ │ orange─brown, │ MnO_{2}, but more│
│ │ _green_. │ evanescent and │
│ │ On dilution, │ rapid in change. │
│ │ _green_. │ On dilution, at │
│ │ │ once removed to │
│ │ │ yellowish─brown. │
├—─—─—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─┼—─—─—─—────────—─—─—─┼—─—─—───────—─—─—─┤
│ HNO_{3} concent. │_Intense brownish─ │_In the cold, │
│ │ red_, changing │ nothing if pure._│
│ │ to brown— bleached │ On warming, │
│ │ by SnCl_{2}. │ orange─yellow │
│ │ │ —then SnCl_{2} │
│ │ │ _brown_ changing│
│ │ │ with excess to │
│ │ │ yellow. │
└—─—─—─—─—─—──────────—─—─—─┴—─—─—─—────────—─—─—─┴—─—─—─—───────—─—─┘

B.

The chlorine used in the separation of arsenic (p. 385) must be _pure_. The best process for making it is to heat _pure_ potass. dichromate with _pure_ hydrochloric acid. The latter may be obtained by heating the “pure” acid of commerce in a retort until a portion of the distillate gives no indication of arsenic by the tests. The remainder in the retort is then arsenic-free.

* * * * *

ERRATUM.

Page 397, line 11, _for_ “Waislow,” _read_, “Winslow.”

TRIALS FOR POISONING.