cent. That of Giese, which keeps well, is of the same strength as the first; that of Schrader contains only one per cent.; that of Göbel 2·5 per cent.; that of Ittner 10 per cent.;[1] that of Robiquet 50 per cent.[2] Of the alcoholic solutions the best known are that of Schrader, which contains about 1·5 per cent. of pure acid,—that of the Bavarian Pharmacopœia, which contains 4 per cent.,—that of Duflos, 9 per cent.,—that of Pfaff 10 per cent.,—and that of Keller, 25 per cent.[A] These statements are necessary for understanding the cases of poisoning published in foreign works.
The tests for hydrocyanic acid has been examined by M. Lassaigne of Paris, by Dr. Turner of London, and by Professor Orfila. They are its odour, the salts of copper, the salts of iron, and nitrate of silver.
The peculiar odour of the acid is a very characteristic and delicate test of its presence. According to Orfila, the smell is perceptible when no chemical reagent is delicate enough to detect it.[3] But I doubt the accuracy of this statement, and may farther observe, that I have known some persons nearly insensible of any smell, even in a specimen which was tolerably strong. Hence, when the odour is resorted to as a test, it ought to be tried by several persons.
Sulphate of copper forms with hydrocyanic acid, when rendered alkaline with a little potass, a greenish precipitate, which becomes nearly white, on the addition of a little hydrochloric acid. The purpose of the hydrochloric acid is to re-dissolve some oxide of copper thrown down by the potass. The precipitate is then the cyanide of copper. This test, according to Lassaigne, will act on the poison when dissolved in 20,000 parts of water. But as the precipitate is not coloured, the test is an insignificant one compared with the next.
If the acid be rendered alkaline by potass, the salts of the mixed peroxide and protoxide of iron produce a grayish-green precipitate, which, on the addition of a little sulphuric acid, becomes of a deep prussian blue colour. Common green vitriol answers very well for this purpose. The salts of the peroxide of iron will also often answer, because, unless carefully prepared, they are never altogether free of protoxide. But the salts of the pure peroxide of iron have no such effect. They cause with the potass a brownish precipitate, which is redissolved on the addition of sulphuric acid, leaving the solution limpid. Mr. Ilott of Bromley has pointed out to me, that the iron test does not act on a weak solution of hydrocyanic acid, if there be an excess of ammonia present, either such from the first, or disengaged by potash from muriate of ammonia; that the blue precipitate is produced by driving off the ammonia with heat; but not by neutralizing it with an acid.
The nitrate of silver is a delicate and characteristic reagent for hydrocyanic acid. A white precipitate, the cyanide of silver, is produced in a very diluted solution; and this precipitate is distin-*
