Detection of Poisons

• AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy) - Heavy metals
• Beilstein - Chlorine
• Beilstein - Green flame
• Benzoidt Gunning - Acetone
• Benzoidt Gunning - Indigotine
• Bromine water - Aniline
• Bromine water - Flesh-colored ↓ (tribromoaniline)
• Brown ring - Nitrite & Nitrate
• Brown Ring - +FeSO4 +H2SO4 → brown ring at interface
• Lieben's Iodoform - Methanol (vs Ethanol)
• Lieben's Iodoform - Yellow ↓ (Iodoform, CHI3)
• Marquis - common drugs of abuse
• Marquis

  • Dark purple/black (Ecstasy)
• Marquis

  • Orange to brown - Amphetamine & Methamphetamine
• Marquis

  • Purple/black - Propoxyphene
• Marquis

  • Pink to purple - Heroin & Opiates
• Marquis

  • Red - Aspirin
• Marsh - Arsenic
• Marsh - mirror like ↓, soluble in NaOCl
• Reinsch - heavy metals
• Reinsch

  • Purple black - Sb
• Reinsch

  • dull black - As
• Reinsch

  • Shiny black (Bi)
• Reinsch

  • Silver - Hg
• Reinsch - need confirmation via AAS
• Rodillion/Millon - Phenol
• Rodillion/Millon - Light to dark red color (mercurous phenate or nitrate phenate)
• Modified duquenols - marijuana
• Modified duquenols - red color (THC) on TLC
• Nessler (Mercuric KI) - Chloroform (vs Chloral hydrate)
• Nessler - Yellow ↓ (Iodoform)
• Nylander - Bismuth
• Nylander - White ↓ (bismuth subnitrate)
• Phenylisocyanide - Nitrobenzene
• Phenylisocyanide - +chloroform → aniline & phenylisocyanide (irritable odor detected)
• Picrate test - prussic acid
• Picrate test - yellow to brick red ↓
• Schonbien-Pagenstecher - prussic acid
• Schonbien-Pagenstecher - deep blue (guaiac paper)
• KI - Hg