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