INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IN FORENSIC CHEMICAL IDENTIFICATION CHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF 31 FATAL CASES OF SUSPECTED POISONING

Journal/Book: Reprint from Ann. Med. Exper. Fenn. Vol. 37. Fasc. 2 1959. 1959;

Abstract: Received for publication January 22 1959 FROM THE INSTITUTE OF FORENSIC MEDICINE (CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT) UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI SUMMARY 1. An investigation is presented of 31 cases of suspected fatal poisoning in which the identification of the separated substances and also the exclusion of suspected substances was carried out mainly by infrared spectroscopy. 2. The materials investigated were specimens of body organs taken at autopsy and medicines etc. left by the deceased. 3. The methods of separation and purification are described. In the separation of volatile substances one of the techniques used was steam distillation after precipitation with acetone. Nonvolatile substances were separated with acetone and the crude product obtained was fractionated into four groups. In the group of acid and neutral substances "water purification" was used and when necessary the separation of neutral substances and fractionation of acid substances into two groups using buffer pH 7.2 was done. The further treatment of the "fatty mass" obtained by acetone treatment is described in two Gases in which Carbromal and Mesantoin were separated. Further procedures of purification and separation were Sublimation (sublimation an a KBr disc.) ion exchange and chromatography an silica gel which latter allowed the separation of Nembutal and Carbromal and of Nembutal and Bromural. 4. Techniques of taking infrared spectra are presented. From crystals the spectrum is readily obtained using infrared microscope when crystals are placed an a thin KBr disc. 5. Using the infrared spectra the following substances separated from cadaverous materials were identified: a) Trichloroethylene (2 cases) Parathion (3 cases) p-nitrophenol DDT (?) Systox; b) Phenacetin (3 cases) Megimide Meprobamate (2 Gases) Valamin Mesantoin Bromural (3 cases) Carbromal (2 cases) Sedormid; c) Butobarbitone Phenobarbital Nembutal (2 cases) Barbital; d) Aminopyrine Chloroquine (2 cases) Quinine Quinidine Morphine. 6. Mixtures of Meprobamate-Phenacetin and Amytal-Nembutal were detected in two spectra. ___MH

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