§ 156. Post-mortem Appearances.—The bodies of animals or persons dying from poisoning by camphor, smell strongly of the substance. The mucous membrane of the stomach has been found inflamed, but there seem to be no characteristic lesions.
§ 157. Separation of Camphor from the Contents of the Stomach.—The identification of camphor would probably in no case present any difficulty. It may be readily dissolved out from organic fluids by chloroform. If dissolved in fixed oils, enough for the purposes of identification may be obtained by simple distillation. It is precipitated from its alcoholic solution by the addition of water.
III.—Alcohols.
1. ETHYLIC ALCOHOL.
§ 158. The chemical properties of ordinary alcohol are fully described, with the appropriate tests, in “Foods,” pp. 369-384, and the reader is also referred to the same volume for the composition and strength of the various alcoholic drinks.
Statistics.—If we were to include in one list the deaths indirectly due to chronic, as well as acute poisoning by alcohol, it would stand first of all poisons in order of frequency, but the taking of doses so large as to cause death in a few hours is rare. The deaths from alcohol are included by the English registrar-general under two heads, viz., those returned as dying from delirium tremens, and those certified as due directly to intemperance.
During the twenty-five years, from 1868 to 1892, 30,219 deaths have been registered as due to intemperance, which gives an average of 1209 per year. The rate per million has varied during the period from 29 to 71; and the figures taken as a whole show that deaths from intemperance appear to be increasing; the increase may be only apparent, not real, for it is a significant circumstance that deaths registered under liver diseases show a corresponding decrease; it is, therefore, not unlikely that deaths which formerly would be ascribed to liver disease, are more often now stated to be the effects of intemperance.
Deaths directly due to large doses of alcohol are not uncommon; during the ten years ending 1892, 105 deaths (81 males and 24 females) were ascribed under the head of “accident or negligence” directly to alcohol.
CHART SHEWING DEATHS PER MILLION PERSONS LIVING, FROM INTEMPERANCE & FROM LIVER DISEASES.