To avert the tendency to death, we must endeavour to palliate the
symptoms and neutralize the effects of the poison. Pain must be relieved
by the use of morphine; inflamed mucous membrane soothed by such
_demulcents_ as oils, milk, starch; stimulants to overcome collapse;
saline infusions in shock, etc. In the case of narcotics and depressing
agents, stimulants, electricity, and cold affusions, may be found
useful. We should endeavour to promote the elimination of the poison
from the body by stimulating the secretions.

VIII.--DETECTION OF POISONS

Notice the smell, colour, and general appearance, of the matter
submitted for examination. The odour may show the presence of prussic
acid, alcohol, opium, or phosphorus. The colour may indicate salts of
copper, cantharides, etc. Seeds of plants may be found.

This examination having been made, the contents of the alimentary canal,
and any other substances to be examined, must be submitted to chemical
processes.

Simple filtration will sometimes suffice to separate the required
substance; in other cases dialysis will be necessary, in order that
crystalloid substances may be separated from colloid bodies.

In the case of volatile substances distillation will be required. The
poisons thus sought for are alcohol, phosphorus, iodine, chloral,
ether, hydrocyanic acid, carbolic acid, nitro-benzol, chloroform, and
anilin. The organic matters are placed in a flask, diluted with
distilled water if necessary, and acidulated with tartaric acid. The
flask is heated in a water-bath, and the vapours condensed by a Liebig's
condenser. In the case of phosphorus the condenser should be of glass,
and the process of distillation conducted in the dark, so that the
luminosity of the phosphorus may be noted.

For the separation of an alkaloid, the following is the process of
Stas-Otto. This process is based upon the principle that the salts of
the alkaloids are _soluble in alcohol and water_, and _insoluble in
ether_. The pure alkaloids, with the exception of morphine in its
crystalline form, are _soluble_ in ether. Make a solution of the
contents of the stomach or solid organs minced very fine by digesting
them with acidulated alcohol or water and filtering. The filtrate is
shaken with ether to remove fat, etc., the ether separated, the watery
solution neutralized with soda, and then shaken with ether, which
removes the alkaloid in a more or less impure condition. The knowledge
of