On the detection of aconite by its physiological action : being notes of experiments made in connection with the trial of Dr. E. W. Pritchard / by Frederick Penny and James Adams.

  • Penny, Frederick, 1816-1869.
Date:
[1865]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the detection of aconite by its physiological action : being notes of experiments made in connection with the trial of Dr. E. W. Pritchard / by Frederick Penny and James Adams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ADDENDA. CHEMICAL REPORTS. Report of Analysis in the Case of the Death of Mrs. Pritchard. “ Andersonian University, Glasgow, 9th May, 1865. “ On Monday, tlie 10th of April last, I received from Dr. Douglas Maclagan, at his laboratory in Edinburgh, the following articles, all of which were certified to have been taken from the body of Mrs. Pritchard:— “ No. 1. Pyloric half of stomach. “ 2. Nearly half of kidney, f These four articles were contained “ 3. Portion of rectum. f in a stoneware jar. “ 4. Portion of spleen. j “ 5. Portion of liver in a glass jar. “ 6. Portion of brain in a glass jar. “ 7. Portion of heart in a glass bottle. “ 8. Portion of blood in a glass bottle. “ 9. 225 grains of dried contents of intestines in a glass bottle. “ The several vessels containing these articles were securely closed, and duly labelled. I brought them direct to Glasgow on the day referred to, and, in accordance with instructions from the Crown-Agent, Edinburgh, I have, at my own laboratory, carefully analyzed and chemically examined each and all of the said articles, for the purpose of ascertaining whether they contained any poison¬ ous substance. Dried Contents of Intestines.—The investigation was commenced with the contents of the intestines. From the information which I received, my attention was particularly directed to the detection of antimony; but deeming it desirable to search for the presence of other metallic poisons, I subjected a portion of the said contents to the usual course of qualitative analysis for the detection of various metals of a poisonous nature. The results of this exhaustive examin¬ ation gave distinct indications of the presence of antimony and mercury. For the purpose of establishing unequivocally the presence of these metals, and at the same time of estimating their quantities respectively, the following experi¬ ments were then carried out:—A known quantity of the said contents was dissolved with the usual precautions in hydrochloric acid, with the addition of chlorate of potash, and the solution being properly diluted with water, was sub¬ jected to the action of sulphuretted hydrogen gas. An abundant black precipi¬ tate was obtained, which, by proper treatment, was separated into sulphide of antimony and sulphide of mercury. The sulphide of antimony, which was ob¬ tained of a fine orange-red colour, was washed, dried, and weighed. Its weight cor¬ responded to a quantity of metallic antimony equal to 2T grains in one thousand parts of the dried contents of the intestines. The same sulphide was found to be readily soluble in sulphide of ammonium, and also in hydrochloric acid, and the acid solution, when poured into water, give a white precipitate, and when boiled with copper-ribbon, deposited a violet-coloured coating on the surface of the copper. The coated copper, on being heated in a glass tube, gave no distinct crystalline sublimate. All these results are eminently characteristic of sulphide of antimony when thus treated. The sulphide of mercury was black; it was dissolved in nitric and hydrochloric acids,and the solution, being appropriately prepared, was treated with chloride of tin. A precipitate of metallic mercury was obtained, which, after being suitably washed and dried, was found to correspond to three grains in one thousand grains of the dried contents. A portion of this precipitate, on being heated in a dry glass tube, gave a sublimate of mercury in brilliant and