Text-book of forensic medicine and toxicology

by R. J. M. Buchanan

Turbith Mineral

A powerful irritant poison, but seldom used. A drachm has caused death in a boy sixteen years of age. Coldness of the surface, burning pain in the stomach and bowels, with other symptoms of irritant poisoning, were present. After death, the mucous membranes of the throat, stomach, and bowels were found considerably inflamed.

Nitrates of Mercury

These substances—the nitrate and sub-nitrate—are used in the arts for various purposes. They act as powerful irritant poisons, with symptoms and post-mortem appearances not unlike those before described when speaking of corrosive sublimate and other irritants.

Chemical Analysis:

Table showing the Reaction of Mercuric and
Mercurous Salts with Reagents

Mercuric Salts
1. With solution of iodide	1. Bright scarlet precipitate,
of potassium.	soluble in excess.
2. With potash solution.	2. Bright yellow precipitate.
3. With hydrosulphuret of	3. First a yellowish and then a
ammonia.	black precipitate is produced.
4. Heated in a reduction tube.	4. It melts, boils, is volatilised,
	and forms a white crystalline
	sublimate.
5. With ether.	5. It is freely soluble in ether; and
	the ethereal solution, when
	allowed to evaporate
	spontaneously, deposits the salt
	in white prismatic crystals.
6. Heated with carbonate of	6. Globules of metallic mercury
soda in a reduction tube.	are produced.
Mercurous Salts
1. Hydrochloric acid.	1. A white precipitate of calomel,
	blackened on addition of ammonia.
2. Potassium iodide solution.	2. Green precipitate.
3. Caustic potash or soda	3. Black precipitate of mercurous
solution.	oxide.

Detection of Mercury in the Tissues and
in the Contents of the Stomach.

Mercury is particularly liable to be absorbed by the tissues; it also readily combines with various organic substances, gelatine, albumin, &c.