4. _It is mixed, or combined, with some medicinal body in a solid form._ As persons have been poisoned by empirical remedies, and other medicines containing sublimate, accidentally or by design, it is necessary to point out the readiest mode by which the investigation may be pursued. If it should form part of a plaster, it will be adviseable to cut it up in small pieces, and boil them for a quarter of an hour in distilled water; this fluid, after standing for some time, should be filtered, and examined as we have before directed. It is evident that, if the sublimate is neither decomposed, nor strongly retained by the materials which compose the plaster, it ought to be found in the above solution; if, however, no such result can be obtained, the solid portion should be dried in a capsule, and mixed with potass; and in this state submitted, in the usual manner, to the process of sublimation, when the appearance of metallic globules will announce the existence of the salt in question, or, at least, of the presence of some mercurial preparation. 5. _It is united with alimentary substances which have effected its decomposition._ It has been frequently stated during the course of the present inquiry, that corrosive sublimate is easily susceptible of decomposition, and that various alimentary substances, of animal as well as vegetable origin, have the power of converting it into _calomel_.[289] This important fact was first noticed by _Chaussier_[290] and has been more fully investigated and confirmed by _Orfila_.[291] Where the quantity of mercurial salt has been considerable, we may generally obtain, on washing the alimentary matter, a sufficient portion for experiment; but where the dose has been small, or where it has been ejected by frequent vomiting, the whole residue may be decomposed; in which case we must seek to establish the fact of poisoning, through the detection of metallic mercury, by the processes of calcination and sublimation. 6. _It is decomposed, and a part exists in intimate combination with the membranes of the alimentary canal._ If all the preceding experiments have failed in detecting the presence of corrosive sublimate, it becomes our duty to examine the textures with which it may be supposed to have come in contact; the coats of the canal should be cut into pieces, and calcined with potass, when, if they have been acted upon by sublimate, they will yield metallic mercury by sublimation. “The alimentary canal,” says _M. Orfila_, “acts upon the sublimate like all other animal substances; muriatic acid is disengaged, and muriate of mercury _ad minimum_ (_calomel_) is formed, which combines with the substance of the viscus.