Treatment of Filtrate B.
A current of sulphuretted hydrogen is conducted for twelve hours through the solution, which is kept at a temperature of 70°. by means of a water-bath. The flask containing the liquid is then closed with a piece of paper, and allowed to remain in a moderately warm place until the odor of the gas is no longer perceptible. The solution is next filtered with the precaution mentioned in the preceding remark, and the precipitate (a) thoroughly washed. The water used in this operation is united to the filtrate, and the fluid (b) examined as directed further on.
Treatment of Precipitate A
In order to free the precipitate from the organic substances possibly present, at the same time avoiding a loss of any metal, it is dried, moistened with nitric acid, and the mass heated on a water-bath. Some Swedish filtering paper is next added, the mixture well impregnated with sulphuric acid, and then maintained for several hours at a temperature of about 170°. until a small portion (afterwards returned) gives a colorless solution when treated with water. The residue is now heated with a mixture of one part of hydrochloric acid and eight parts of water, the liquid filtered, the matter remaining undissolved washed with dilute hydrochloric acid, and the washings united with the filtrate.
The residue I. and the solution II. are separately examined as directed below.
Residue I.
This may contain lead, mercury, tin, bismuth and antimony. It is heated for a considerable time with aqua regia, the solution filtered, and the second residue, should one remain, washed with dilute hydrochloric acid. If the second residue is fused with cyanide of potassium, the compounds present are reduced to the metallic state. The liberated metals are treated with nitric acid, which dissolves lead, but leaves tin as insoluble metastannic acid. The nitrate of lead is then filtered from the metastannic acid, and both metals are identified as described in the treatment of residue A.
The solution, obtained by the action of aqua regia on residue I, is treated with sulphuretted hydrogen. The tin and antimony are separated from the lead, mercury and bismuth by treating the precipitate produced with sulphide of ammonium, which dissolves only the sulphides of the first two metals. The solution in sulphide of ammonium is afterwards examined for these metals, as directed under the head of solution IV., the search for arsenic, however, being here omitted.
Upon treating the residue insoluble in sulphide of ammonium with nitric acid, lead, copper and bismuth go into solution, mercury remaining undissolved. The liquid is filtered, and the undissolved mercury submitted to the special examination previously described.
Sulphuric acid is added to the solution and the precipitate of sulphate of lead formed, separated, washed, and examined as directed while treating of residue A.
Finally, the solution separated from the lead is tested for bismuth and copper, as in examination of precipitate III.
Solution II
The solution is concentrated by heating on a water-bath, a small quantity of carbonate of soda cautiously added to a portion, and notice taken if a precipitate forms. The part taken is then acidulated with a little hydrochloric acid, returned to the principal solution, and sulphuretted hydrogen conducted through the fluid, as in the examination of solution B. In case a precipitate fails to form, all metals are absent; if, on the contrary, a precipitate (c) is produced, it is examined as directed below.
Examination of Precipitate c
If the solution merely became turbid, or the precipitate formed was of a pure white color, it consists probably of sulphur. It is, however, indispensable, even in this case, to collect the precipitate and examine it for arsenic. Provided it is of a pure yellow color, it is treated with ammonia. In case it is entirely dissolved by this treatment, and the addition of carbonate of ammonia failed to produce a precipitate in solution II., it is certain that arsenic, and no other metal, is present. Under these circumstances, the ammoniacal solution is examined as directed in the article on the detection of arsenic. If, on the other hand, the precipitate is not yellow, or being yellow, is but imperfectly soluble in ammonia, and a precipitate was formed by the addition of carbonate of ammonia to solution II., it is necessary to likewise search for tin, antimony, mercury, copper, bismuth and cadmium. In this case, the precipitate is placed in a small flask, allowed to digest for several hours with ammonia and sulphide of ammonium in a moderately warm place, and the solution filtered.
The remaining residue (III.) is washed, labelled, and preserved for subsequent examination; the filtrate (IV.) is treated as directed below.
Treatment of Solution IV
The solution, to which the water used in washing the residue has been added, is evaporated to dryness, the residue obtained taken up with pure fuming nitric acid, and the liquid again evaporated. The second residue is next saturated with a solution of carbonate of soda. A mixture of 1 part of carbonate and 2 of nitrate of soda is then added, the mixture evaporated to dryness, and the residual mass heated to fusion. The fused mass, when cold, is treated with cold water, and any remaining residue washed with a mixture of equal parts of alcohol and water. The filtered fluids are now evaporated in order to remove the alcohol, sulphuric acid is then added, and the mixture heated until white fumes of the acid begin to evolve. In this way the complete expulsion of the nitric acid present is rendered certain. When cold, the residue is treated with water and the solution introduced into Marsh’s apparatus, or, in case a quantitative estimation of the arsenic is desired, it is treated with sulphuretted hydrogen and the weight of the precipitate formed determined, as directed under the detection of arsenic.
Should a residue insoluble in water remain, it may contain tin, antimony and traces of copper. Upon dissolving it in aqua regia and placing a sheet of pure zinc in the solution, these metals are thrown down in the metallic state. The precipitate is collected, the zinc present completely removed by treatment with dilute hydrochloric acid, and the residue boiled with concentrated hydrochloric acid which dissolves the tin present. The fluid is filtered and the filtrate tested for this metal by adding solution of chloride of gold, which, in its presence, produces a purple precipitate, and, by treating it with sulphurated hydrogen, which forms a brown precipitate, soluble in sulphide of ammonium.
If the residue, insoluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid, is thoroughly washed and then treated with nitric acid, the copper present goes in solution. The fluid is filtered, and ammonia added to the filtrate: in presence of copper, the solution acquires a blue color, and gives a reddish precipitate upon addition of ferrocyanide of potassium.
Antimony, if present, remains by the treatment with nitric acid as an insoluble intermediate oxide. This is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, in which it is now soluble, and the solution introduced into Marsh’s apparatus.
Treatment of Precipitate III
This precipitate may contain the sulphides of mercury, copper, cadmium and bismuth. Upon treating it with nitric acid, all but the sulphide of mercury are dissolved. In case no residue remains, the absence of mercury is indicated; if, on the other hand, a residue is left, it is well washed, dissolved in aqua regia, and the solution examined, either by means of Smithson’s pile, or in the apparatus of Flandin and Danger. (Vide Detection of Mercury.)
Whether a residue remains or not, an excess of ammonia is next added to the filtered solution in nitric acid: the formation of a permanent precipitate denotes the presence of bismuth. In this case, the fluid is filtered, and the alkaline filtrate further tested for copper and cadmium. For this purpose, cyanide of potassium is added, and sulphuretted hydrogen conducted through the filtrate: if cadmium be present, a yellow precipitate is produced, copper not being thrown down in presence of an alkaline cyanide. The precipitate of sulphide of cadmium is separated from the solution by filtration, and the filtrate saturated with hydrochloric acid. Copper, if present, is now precipitated as sulphide: its separation is completed by conducting sulphuretted hydrogen through the fluid.
The precipitate is collected, washed, dissolved in nitric acid, and its identity established as previously directed. If the metal be present in sufficient quantity, it should be obtained in a metallic state upon a plate of iron; it is then coherent, possesses its natural color, and can conveniently be exhibited to the Jury.
Treatment of Solution B
This solution may contain: cobalt, nickel, iron, manganese, chromium, zinc and aluminium. Of these, only zinc and chromium are poisonous; the search for these two metals is therefore all that is necessary in criminal cases. The solution is treated with a slight excess of ammonia, sulphide of ammonium added, and the fluid, after being allowed to stand for several hours, filtered. The precipitate may consist of sulphide of zinc and hydrated oxide of chromium, as well as of traces of sulphide of iron and phosphate of lime. If the suspected materials contained a chromate, this salt, in presence of hydrochloric acid and sulphuretted hydrogen, would be converted into sesquichloride of chromium a compound which is precipitated by sulphide of ammonium as a hydrated oxide.
The precipitate is washed with water, to which a little sulphide of ammonium is added, then dried, and fused with four times its weight of a mixture of equal parts of carbonate and nitrate of potassa. After the mass has remained in a state of fusion for a quarter of an hour, it is treated with boiling water, mixed with a little alcohol, in order to decompose the manganate that would be present were manganese contained in the materials under examination. The alcohol is then expelled by boiling the fluid, and the solution filtered. The filtrate may contain phosphate of potassa, originating from the phosphate of lime present, and chromate of potassa, resulting from the oxidation of the sesquioxide of chromium. In presence of the latter compound, the following reactions will occur in the solution: 1st., Upon acidulation with acetic acid and addition of solution of acetate of lead, a yellow precipitate, soluble in potassa, is formed; 2nd., if hydrochloric acid is added and sulphuretted hydrogen conducted into the solution, the latter acquires a green color, and, upon adding ammonia, a bluish-grey precipitate of chromic hydrate is produced; 3rd., if nitrate of silver is added to the solution, a brick-red precipitate is formed.
The precipitate remaining on the filter, may consist of zinc, mixed with the oxides of iron, nickel, cobalt, aluminium and manganese. It is dissolved in boiling hydrochloric acid, acetate of soda added, and the fluid boiled until no further precipitation occurs. The iron is now completely separated. The solution is then filtered, the precipitate washed, and an excess of potassa added to the filtrate; if the solution contains cobalt, nickel or manganese—which is improbable—a permanent precipitate is formed. This is separated from the fluid by filtration: its further examination is, however, unnecessary, as the metals of which it consists are not poisonous. The filtrate may contain aluminium and zinc. The latter metal is detected by acidulating the filtrate with acetic acid, and adding a solution of sulphuretted hydrogen: in presence of zinc a white precipitate of its sulphide is formed.
In case organic substances are present, the precipitation of chromium by sulphide of ammonium may possibly have been hindered, and the metal have passed into the filtrate. When, therefore, chromium is not detected in the precipitate, the filtrate should also be examined. For this purpose, the fluid is evaporated to dryness, and the residue obtained fused with a mixture of nitrate and carbonate of soda. The fused mass is then taken up with water, the solution acidulated with acetic acid, and a solution of acetate of lead added: if chromium be present, a yellow precipitate, soluble in potassa, is produced.