Treatise on Poisons by Sir Robert Christison

5. _Of Corrosive Sublimate._

1059 words | Chapter 111

Corrosive sublimate (oxymuriate, corrosive muriate, bichloride of mercury), is by far the most important of the mercurial poisons, as it is both the most active of them, and the one most frequently used for criminal purposes. It is commonly met with in the form of a heavy, snow-white powder, or of small, broken crystals, or in white, compact, concave, crystalline cakes. It is permanent in the air; but in the sunshine is slowly decomposed, a gray insoluble powder being formed. It readily crystallizes, and the common form of the crystals is the quadrangular prism. Its specific gravity is 5·2. Its taste is strongly styptic, metallic, acrid, and persistent; and its dust powerfully irritates the nostrils. It is soluble, according to Thenard, in 20, according to Orfila, in 11 parts of temperate water, and in thrice its weight of boiling water. Its solution faintly reddens litmus. It is more soluble in alcohol than in water, boiling alcohol dissolving its own weight, and retaining when it cools, a fourth part. It is also very soluble in ether, so that ether will remove it from its aqueous solution. Corrosive sublimate may become the subject of a medico-legal analysis in three states. It may be in the solid form; it may be dissolved in water along with other mineral substances; and it may be mixed with vegetable and animal fluids or solids. _Of the Tests for Corrosive Sublimate in the solid state._ Corrosive sublimate in the solid state is distinguished from other substances by the action of the heat, and the effects of solution of caustic potass. Subjected to heat alone it sublimes in white acrid fumes; and if the experiment is made in a little tube, it condenses again unaltered in a crystalline cake. Treated with solution of caustic potass, it becomes yellow, the binoxide being disengaged, and hydrochloric acid uniting with the potass, as may be proved by nitrate of silver, after filtration and neutralization with nitric acid. The yellow colour of the binoxide which is separated in this process distinguishes corrosive sublimate from calomel, which is also decomposed by the potass solution, but yields a black protoxide. Caustic soda has the same effect. Not so caustic ammonia: Ammonia blackens calomel, but does not change the colour of corrosive sublimate, as it forms with it a white triple salt, commonly called white precipitate. The process here described is the best and simplest method of determining chemically the nature of corrosive sublimate in its solid state. But two other tests may also be mentioned, as they have been a good deal used. A very good test is the process of reduction with potass, by which globules of mercury are sublimed, and a chloride of potassium left in the flux, as may be proved by the action of nitrate of silver on the solution of the flux previously neutralized with nitric acid. This test alone will not distinguish corrosive sublimate from calomel: The solubility of the former must be taken into account.—Another satisfactory test is the solution of protochloride of tin. Corrosive sublimate, when left for some time in this solution, first becomes grayish-black, and ere long its place is supplied by globules of mercury,—the chlorine being entirely abstracted by the protochloride of tin, which consequently passes to the state of a bichloride. Calomel is similarly affected. _Of the Tests for Corrosive Sublimate in a state of Solution._ Two processes may be mentioned for the detection of corrosive sublimate in mineral solutions,—a process by reduction, and a process by liquid tests. _Reduction process._—In order to procure mercury in its characteristic metallic state from a solution of corrosive sublimate, the following plan of procedure will be found the most delicate and convenient. Add to the solution, previously acidulated with hydrochloric acid if very weak, a little of the protochloride of tin, which will be seen presently to be a liquid reagent of great delicacy. If the solution is not darkened there is not present an appreciable quantity of mercury. If mercury is present a bluish-gray or grayish-black precipitate falls down, owing to the chemical action already particularized. After ebullition, this precipitate is to be allowed to subside, first in a tall glass vessel suited to the quantity of the solution, and afterwards in the small glass tube, Fig. 7, the superincumbent fluid being previously decanted off as far as possible. After it has subsided in the tube, the remaining fluid is withdrawn with the pipette, Fig. 8; water is poured over it; and this is withdrawn again after the precipitate has subsided a third time. The bottom of the tube is then cut off with a file, and the moisture which remains is driven off with a gentle heat. When this is accomplished, the powder, which is nothing else than metallic mercury, sometimes runs into globules. Should it not do so, the bit of tube is to be broken in pieces and heated in the tube, Fig. 1, when a brilliant ring of fine globules will be formed. If the globules are too minute to be visible to the naked eye, the tube is to be cut off with the file close to the ring; and the globules may then be easily made to coalesce into one or more of visible magnitude by scraping the inside of the tube with the point of a penknife. This process is not recommended as preferable to the plan by liquid reagents which is next to be mentioned, and which is both more easily put in practice, and at the same time quite as satisfactory. It is related chiefly because it forms the ground-work of a process for detecting mercury in mixed animal or vegetable fluids. It will be remarked that the process does not prove with what acid the mercury was combined in the solution. But this is a defect of little consequence; for the only other soluble salts of mercury ever met with in the arts, namely, the nitrate, acetate, and cyanide, are too rare to be the source of any material fallacy; and are besides all equally poisonous with corrosive sublimate. _Process by Liquid Tests._—The process by liquid reagents consists in the application of several tests to separate portions of the solution. The tests which appear to me the most satisfactory are hydrosulphuric acid gas, hydriodate of potass, protochloride of tin, and nitrate of silver.

Chapters

1. Chapter 1 2. PART II.—OF INDIVIDUAL POISONS. 3. CHAPTER I. 4. 1. _On the Action of Poisons through Sympathy._ In the infancy of 5. 2. _Of the Action of Poisons through Absorption._—If doubts may be 6. 1. _Quantity_ affects their action materially. Not only do they produce 7. 2. _As to state of aggregation_,—poisons act the more energetically the 8. 3. The next modifying cause is _chemical combination_. This is sometimes 9. 4. The effect of _mixture_ depends partly on the poisons being diluted. 10. 5. _Difference of tissue_ is an interesting modifying power in a 11. 6. With respect to differences arising from _difference of organ_, these 12. 7. _Habit and Idiosyncrasy._—The remarks to be made under the present 13. 8. The last modifying cause to be mentioned comprehends certain 14. CHAPTER II. 15. 1. The first characteristic is the _suddenness of their appearance and 16. 2. The next general characteristic of the symptoms of poisoning is 17. 3. Another characteristic is _uniformity in the nature of the symptoms_ 18. 4. The fourth characteristic is, that _the symptoms begin soon after a 19. 5. Lastly, _the symptoms appear during a state of perfect health_. This 20. 1. As to the _suddenness of their invasion and rapidity of their 21. 2. As to the uniformity or _uninterrupted increase of the symptoms_, it 22. 3. It was stated above, that the third character, _uniformity in kind_ 23. 4. In the next place, it was observed that some reliance may be placed 24. 5. Little need be said with regard to _the symptoms beginning, while the 25. 1. It may have been discharged by vomiting and purging. Thus on the 26. 2. The poison may have disappeared, because it has been all absorbed. It 27. 3. Poisons may not be found, because the excess has been decomposed. 28. 4. Lastly, the poison which has been absorbed into the system, and may 29. 1. The evidence derived from _the effects of suspected food, drink, or 30. 2. In the case of _the vomited matter_ or _contents of the stomach_ 31. 3. The effects of _the flesh of poisoned animals_, eaten by other 32. 3. The next article, which relates to the proof of the administration of 33. 4. The next article in the moral evidence relates to the intent of the 34. 5. The next article among the moral circumstances,—the simultaneous 35. 6. The next article of the moral evidence relates to suspicious conduct 36. CHAPTER III. 37. CHAPTER I. 38. 1. _Arsenical_ White arsenic 185 39. 2. _Acids_ Sulphuric acid 32 40. 3. _Mercurials_ Corrosive sublimate 12 41. 4. _Other mineral irritants_ Tartar-emetic 2 42. 5. _Veget. irritants_ Colchicum 3 43. 7. _Opium_ Opium or Laudan. 180 44. 8. _Hydrocyanic acid_ Med. Hydroc. acid 27 45. 9. _Other veget. Narcotics_ Nux-vomica 3 46. 11. Unascertained 22 47. CHAPTER II. 48. 1. _Distension of the Stomach._—Mere distension of the stomach from 49. 2. _Rupture of the Stomach_ is not a common occurrence; but it sometimes 50. 3. _Rupture of the Duodenum_ is a very rare accident from internal 51. 4. Under the next head may be classed rupture of the other organs of the 52. 5. The next accident which may be noticed on account of its being liable 53. 6. _Of Bilious Vomiting and Simple Cholera._—Of all the diseases which 54. 7. _Of Malignant Cholera._—The history of this disease affords a fair 55. 8. _Of Inflammation of the Stomach._—Chronic inflammation of the stomach 56. 9. _Inflammation of the Intestines_ in its acute form is more common 57. 10. _Inflammation of the Peritonæum_, or lining membrane of the belly, 58. 11. The subject of _Spontaneous Perforation of the Stomach_ is an 59. 12. The _gullet_ may be perforated in a similar manner either with or 60. 13. _Perforation of the alimentary canal by worms_ may here also be 61. 14. The next diseases to be mentioned are melæna and hæmatemesis, or 62. 15. The last are _colic_, _iliac passion_, and _obstructed intestine_. 63. CHAPTER III. 64. 1. _When concentrated_ it is oily-looking, colourless, or brownish from 65. 2. _When diluted_, it may be distinguished from all ordinary acids by 66. 3. It is seldom that the medical jurist is called on to search for 67. 1. The most ordinary symptoms are those of the first variety,—namely, 68. 2. The second variety of symptoms belong to a peculiar modification of 69. 3. The third variety includes cases of imperfect recovery. These are 70. 4. The last variety comprehends cases of perfect recovery, which are 71. 1. _When concentrated_, nitric acid is easily known by the odour of its 72. 2. _In a diluted state_ this acid is not so easily recognised as the 73. 3. _When in a state of compound mixture_, nitric acid, like sulphuric 74. 1. Hydrochloric acid, _in its concentrated state_, is colourless, if 75. 2. _When diluted_, it is recognised with facility, first by 76. 3. In the last edition of this work I proposed for the detection of 77. CHAPTER IV. 78. CHAPTER V. 79. CHAPTER VI. 80. 1. In the form of a pure solution, its nature may be satisfactorily 81. 2. The only important modifications in the analysis rendered necessary 82. CHAPTER VII. 83. CHAPTER VIII. 84. CHAPTER IX. 85. CHAPTER X. 86. CHAPTER XI. 87. CHAPTER XII. 88. CHAPTER XIII. 89. 3. The arsenite of copper, or _mineral green_. 4. The arsenite of potass 90. 2. _Of the Tests for Arsenious Acid._ 91. 7. After the precipitate has thoroughly subsided, the supernatant liquid 92. introduction as a poison into the body. This topic, one of paramount 93. 1. _Arsenic may exist as an adulteration in some reagents._—It must be 94. 2. _Arsenic may be present in some articles of chemical 95. 3. _Arsenic may have existed in antidotes administered during life._—It 96. 4. _Arsenic sometimes exists naturally in the human body._—This 97. 5. _Arsenic may exist in the soil of churchyards._—This proposition too 98. 3. _Arsenite of Copper_. 99. 4. _Arsenite of Potass_. 100. 5. _Arseniate of Potass._ 101. 6. _The Sulphurets of Arsenic._ 102. 7. _Arseniuretted-Hydrogen._ 103. 1. In one order of cases, then, arsenic produces symptoms of irritation 104. 2. The second variety of poisoning with arsenic includes a few cases in 105. 3. The third variety of poisoning with arsenic places in a clear point 106. CHAPTER XIV. 107. 1. _Of Red Precipitate._ 108. 2. _Of Cinnabar._ 109. 3. _Of Turbith Mineral._ 110. 4. _Of Calomel._ 111. 5. _Of Corrosive Sublimate._ 112. 1. _Hydrosulphuric acid gas_ transmitted in a stream through a solution 113. 1. _Lime-Water_ throws down the binoxide of mercury in the form of a 114. 6. _Of Bicyanide of Mercury._ 115. 7. _Of the Nitrates of Mercury._ 116. 1. The symptoms in the first variety are very like what occur in the 117. 2. The second variety of poisoning with mercury comprehends the cases, 118. 3. The third variety of poisoning with mercury comprehends all the forms 119. introduction of corrosive sublimate into the stomach. The poison then 120. CHAPTER XV. 121. 1. _Mineral Green._ 122. 2. _Natural Verdigris._ 123. 3. _Blue Vitriol._ 124. 1. _Ammonia_ causes a pale azure precipitate, which is redissolved by an 125. 2. _Sulphuretted hydrogen gas_ causes a dark brownish-black precipitate, 126. 3. _Ferro-cyanate of potass_ causes a fine hair-brown precipitate, the 127. 4. A polished rod or plate of _metallic iron_, held in a solution of 128. 4. _Artificial Verdigris._ 129. 1. Should the subject of analysis not be a liquid, render it such by 130. 2. If the copper be extremely minute in quantity, sulphuretted hydrogen 131. CHAPTER XVI. 132. 1. _Caustic potass_ precipitates a white sesquioxide, but only if the 133. 2. _Nitric acid_ throws down a white precipitate, and takes it up again 134. 3. The _Infusion of Galls_ causes a dirty, yellowish-white precipitate; 135. 4. The best liquid reagent is _Hydrosulphuric acid_. In a solution 136. 5. When the solution is put into Marsh’s apparatus for detecting arsenic 137. 1. Subject a small portion of the liquid to a stream of hydrosulphuric 138. 2. If hydrosulphuric acid do not distinctly affect the liquid, or if no 139. 3. If antimony be not indicated in either of these ways in the fluid 140. CHAPTER XVII. 141. CHAPTER XVIII. 142. 1. _Of Litharge and Red Lead._ 143. 2. _Of White Lead._ 144. 3. _Of Sugar of Lead._ 145. 1. _Hydrosulphuric acid_ causes a black precipitate, the sulphuret of 146. 2. _Chromate of potass_, both in the state of proto-chromate and 147. 3. _Hydriodate of potass_ causes also a lively gamboge-yellow 148. 4. _A rod of zinc_ held for some time in the solution displaces the 149. 4. _Goulard’s Extract._ 150. introduction of lead into the body; and in the last the whole course of 151. introduction of lead into the body may be presumed to be the real cause. 152. introduction of lead into the system. Dr. Burton thinks it will when the 153. CHAPTER XIX. 154. CHAPTER XX. 155. CHAPTER XXI. 156. CHAPTER XXII. 157. CHAPTER XXIII. 158. CHAPTER XXIV. 159. CHAPTER XXV. 160. CHAPTER XXIV. 161. 1. Apoplexy is sometimes preceded at considerable intervals by warning 162. 2. Apoplexy attacks chiefly the old. It is not, however, confined to the 163. 3. The next criterion is, that apoplexy occurs chiefly among fat people. 164. 4. A fourth criterion is drawn from the relation which the appearance of 165. 5. Another criterion relates to the progress of the symptoms. The 166. 6. Although there is a great resemblance between the symptoms of 167. 7. In the last place, a useful criterion may be derived from the 168. 1. The epileptic fit _is sometimes preceded by certain warnings_, such 169. 2. The symptoms of the epileptic fit _almost always begin violently and 170. 3. As in apoplexy, so in epilepsy the patient _in general cannot be 171. 4. When a person dies in a fit of epilepsy, _the paroxysm generally 172. 5. M. Esquirol, a writer of high authority, says that epilepsy _very 173. CHAPTER XXVII. 174. 1. If there be any solid matter, it is to be cut into small fragments, 175. 2. Add now the solution of acetate of lead as long as it causes 176. 3. The fluid part is to be treated with hydrosulphuric acid gas, to 177. 4. It is useful, however, to separate the meconic acid also; because, as 178. 5. If there be a sufficiency of the original material, Merck’s process 179. 546. There is little doubt that poisoning with opium may cause 180. CHAPTER XXVIII. 181. CHAPTER XXIX. 182. CHAPTER XXX. 183. CHAPTER XXXI. 184. 1. M. Chomel of Paris has related a case of poisoning with the gas 185. 2. The fumes of burning charcoal have been long known to be deleterious. 186. 3. It is probable that in some circumstances a very small quantity of 187. 4. The vapours from burning coal are the most noxious of all kinds of 188. 5. Somewhat analogous to the symptoms now described are the effects of 189. CHAPTER XXXII. 190. CHAPTER XXXIII. 191. CHAPTER XXXIV. 192. CHAPTER XXXV. 193. CHAPTER XXXVI. 194. CHAPTER XXXVII. 195. CHAPTER XXXVIII. 196. CHAPTER XXXIX. 197. CHAPTER XL. 198. CHAPTER XLI. 199. 1. When the dose is small, much excitement and little subsequent 200. 2. When the effect is sufficiently great to receive the designation of 201. 160. In twenty-four hours more the breathing became laborious and 202. 3. The third degree of poisoning is not so often witnessed, because, in 203. CHAPTER XLII. 204. 1. _Poisoning with Arsenic and Alcohol._—A man, after taking twelve 205. 3. _Poisoning with Tartar-Emetic and Charcoal Fumes._—Under the head of 206. 4. _Poisoning with Alcohol and with Laudanum._—Under the head of 207. 5. _Poisoning with Laudanum and Corrosive Sublimate._—Of all the cases 208. 6. _Poisoning with Opium and Belladonna._—A lady, who used a compound 209. 7. In the following cases, the active poisons to which the individuals 210. 2. Apparatus for the distillation of fluids suspected to contain 211. 3. Tube for reducing very small portions of arsenic or mercury. The 212. 4. A small glass funnel for introducing the material into the tube 213. 5. The ordinary apparatus for disengaging sulphuretted-hydrogen. The 214. 6. Instrument for washing down scanty precipitates on filters. It is a 215. 7. Tubes of natural size for collecting small portions of mercury by 216. 8. Pipette, one-fourth the natural size, for removing by suction 217. 9. Apparatus for reducing the sulphurets of some metals by a stream of 218. 36. Quoted by Marx, die Lehre von den Giften, I. ii. 163. 219. 92. Vicarius, Ibidem, Obs. 100. Riselius, Ibidem, Dec. i. An. v. Obs. 220. 1762. See Marx, i. ii. 29. 221. 1. P. 476, changed “exasperated by the use of oil” to “exacerbated by 222. 2. P. 513, changed “I may here add a very opposite instance of 223. 6. Enclosed italics font in _underscores_.

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