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Detection of rosin in stomach wash in a case of rosin intoxication. A case report
Forensic Science International, 13 (1979) 133 - 135 0 Elsevier Sequoia S.A., Lausanne - Printed in the Netherlands
DETECTION OF ROSIN IN STOMACH INTOXICATION. A CASE REPORT
133
WASH IN A CASE OF ROSIN
T. R. BAGGI and H. R. K. MURTHY Central Forensic Science Ministry of Home Affairs, 500 001 (India)
Laboratory, Government
Bureau of Police Research and Development, of India, 5-g-201/2, Chiragali Lane, Hyderabad-
(Received November 3, 1978; accepted January 25,1979)
Summary The use of thin-layer chromatography in the detection of rosin in a stomach wash sample in a rare case of rosin intoxication is described.
Introduction Glue sniffing and inhalation of a variety of volatile compounds has become a recent fad, giving rise to various toxic symptoms ranging from mild euphoria and hallucination to coma. Although the details of many substances used for such purposes are available in the literature, no information is available on the use of rosin orally. Rosin is reported to show toxic effects when patch tested [l] . Rosin is the gum-like residue having a turpentine-like odour and taste, that is left after distilling off the volatile oil from the oleoresin of the plants of pinus species. This substance is insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol. Rosin oil is obtained by distillation of rosin. Rosin and rosin oil are used in various industrial products such as sealing waxes, lacquers, varnishes and lubricant greases, etc. Rosin is also reported to be used as a hashish adulterant [2]. In this communication the method of analysis adopted to detect rosin in a stomach wash sample is reported.
Case history A middle-aged employee of a workshop was brought to a local hospital in an intoxicated state with a history that he had consumed a powder which is used for lubricating certain machinery parts in the workshop. The patient, when admitted to the hospital, smelt of alcohol; the pupils were moderately dilated and reacted sluggishly to light. On examination, no abnormality was detected except a palpable tender liver. After a stomach wash the patient was administered mannitol and Stemetil@ and upon
134
complete chemical
recovery analysis.
Chemical
analysis
was later discharged.
The stomach
wash was received
for
Systematic analysis of the stomach wash revealed the presence of alcohol and the absence of other common acidic, basic and neutral drug substances. Tests for the common organochloro and organophosphorus insecticides were also negative. On the basis of the case history, enquiries were made about the material used in the workshop. It was suspected that it could have been rosin or a rosin-based material. No information was available in the literature on the toxicology or detection of rosin in body fluids or stomach contents. Knowing it to be a plant resin of complex nature and soluble in alcohol, it was decided to try thin-layer chromatography (TLC). This was carried out on a standard 20 cm X 20 cm glass plate coated with a 250 m thick silica gel G layer, activated at 105 “C for one hour. After trying various solvent systems, the (unsaturated) solvent system xylene-butanoneemethanoll diethylamine (40:40:6:2) was found to give the best separation. The stomach wash sample was filtered, evaporated almost to dryness and reconstituted with a few drops of alcohol. This solution was spotted onto the TLC plate together with alcoholic solutions of reference samples of rosin and abietic acid (the main constituent of rosin). The plate was developed to a height of 10 cm in the above solvent system. After development, the plate was removed from the tank, air dried and observed under longwave ultraviolet light. The six characteristic fluorescent spots of the sample were identical in pattern and Rf X 100 value (28, 40, 55, 72, 91 and 98) to those of the reference rosin sample; of the Rf X 100 values five corresponded to the R, X 100 values of five spots of abietic acid. The plate was then sprayed with a 3% (w/v) solution of ammonium molybdate in cont. H,SO, [3] and heated at about 105 “C for about ten minutes. Identical greenish brown spots of the same pattern and Rf value were found to develop for the sample, reference rosin and abietic acid samples. These spots also showed characteristic fluorescence under longwave ultraviolet light.
Results
and discussion
The above observations confirmed that the stomach wash sample contained rosin in addition to ethyl alcohol. Glue sniffing and similar other adventures have been reported to give a “kick” and/or hallucinations, etc., and since rosin is a glue-like substance of plant origin having an odour like turpentine, the subject might have tried it to get a “kick”. Though rosin is insoluble in water, in this case, due to the
135
presence of ethyl alcohol (as revealed by the chemical analysis) in which it is soluble, it might have been quickly absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa resulting in toxic symptoms.
Conclusion The above TLC procedure could be used for detection stomach wash samples where rosin intoxication is suspected.
of rosin in
Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Dr. S. N. Garg (Director, Science Laboratory, Hyderabad, India) for his keen interest
Central Forensic in this work.
References 1 Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 27th edn., Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1977, p. 251. 2 C. L. Winek, Everything you wanted to know about drug abuse - but were afraid to ask, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1974, p. 35. 3 M. Rangaswami and H. K. Sen, A Hand-Book of Shellac Analysis, Indian Lac Research Institute, Namkum, India, 1952, p. 115.
DETECTION OF ROSIN IN STOMACH INTOXICATION. A CASE REPORT
133
WASH IN A CASE OF ROSIN
T. R. BAGGI and H. R. K. MURTHY Central Forensic Science Ministry of Home Affairs, 500 001 (India)
Laboratory, Government
Bureau of Police Research and Development, of India, 5-g-201/2, Chiragali Lane, Hyderabad-
(Received November 3, 1978; accepted January 25,1979)
Summary The use of thin-layer chromatography in the detection of rosin in a stomach wash sample in a rare case of rosin intoxication is described.
Introduction Glue sniffing and inhalation of a variety of volatile compounds has become a recent fad, giving rise to various toxic symptoms ranging from mild euphoria and hallucination to coma. Although the details of many substances used for such purposes are available in the literature, no information is available on the use of rosin orally. Rosin is reported to show toxic effects when patch tested [l] . Rosin is the gum-like residue having a turpentine-like odour and taste, that is left after distilling off the volatile oil from the oleoresin of the plants of pinus species. This substance is insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol. Rosin oil is obtained by distillation of rosin. Rosin and rosin oil are used in various industrial products such as sealing waxes, lacquers, varnishes and lubricant greases, etc. Rosin is also reported to be used as a hashish adulterant [2]. In this communication the method of analysis adopted to detect rosin in a stomach wash sample is reported.
Case history A middle-aged employee of a workshop was brought to a local hospital in an intoxicated state with a history that he had consumed a powder which is used for lubricating certain machinery parts in the workshop. The patient, when admitted to the hospital, smelt of alcohol; the pupils were moderately dilated and reacted sluggishly to light. On examination, no abnormality was detected except a palpable tender liver. After a stomach wash the patient was administered mannitol and Stemetil@ and upon
134
complete chemical
recovery analysis.
Chemical
analysis
was later discharged.
The stomach
wash was received
for
Systematic analysis of the stomach wash revealed the presence of alcohol and the absence of other common acidic, basic and neutral drug substances. Tests for the common organochloro and organophosphorus insecticides were also negative. On the basis of the case history, enquiries were made about the material used in the workshop. It was suspected that it could have been rosin or a rosin-based material. No information was available in the literature on the toxicology or detection of rosin in body fluids or stomach contents. Knowing it to be a plant resin of complex nature and soluble in alcohol, it was decided to try thin-layer chromatography (TLC). This was carried out on a standard 20 cm X 20 cm glass plate coated with a 250 m thick silica gel G layer, activated at 105 “C for one hour. After trying various solvent systems, the (unsaturated) solvent system xylene-butanoneemethanoll diethylamine (40:40:6:2) was found to give the best separation. The stomach wash sample was filtered, evaporated almost to dryness and reconstituted with a few drops of alcohol. This solution was spotted onto the TLC plate together with alcoholic solutions of reference samples of rosin and abietic acid (the main constituent of rosin). The plate was developed to a height of 10 cm in the above solvent system. After development, the plate was removed from the tank, air dried and observed under longwave ultraviolet light. The six characteristic fluorescent spots of the sample were identical in pattern and Rf X 100 value (28, 40, 55, 72, 91 and 98) to those of the reference rosin sample; of the Rf X 100 values five corresponded to the R, X 100 values of five spots of abietic acid. The plate was then sprayed with a 3% (w/v) solution of ammonium molybdate in cont. H,SO, [3] and heated at about 105 “C for about ten minutes. Identical greenish brown spots of the same pattern and Rf value were found to develop for the sample, reference rosin and abietic acid samples. These spots also showed characteristic fluorescence under longwave ultraviolet light.
Results
and discussion
The above observations confirmed that the stomach wash sample contained rosin in addition to ethyl alcohol. Glue sniffing and similar other adventures have been reported to give a “kick” and/or hallucinations, etc., and since rosin is a glue-like substance of plant origin having an odour like turpentine, the subject might have tried it to get a “kick”. Though rosin is insoluble in water, in this case, due to the
135
presence of ethyl alcohol (as revealed by the chemical analysis) in which it is soluble, it might have been quickly absorbed through the gastrointestinal mucosa resulting in toxic symptoms.
Conclusion The above TLC procedure could be used for detection stomach wash samples where rosin intoxication is suspected.
of rosin in
Acknowledgements The authors wish to thank Dr. S. N. Garg (Director, Science Laboratory, Hyderabad, India) for his keen interest
Central Forensic in this work.
References 1 Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 27th edn., Pharmaceutical Press, London, 1977, p. 251. 2 C. L. Winek, Everything you wanted to know about drug abuse - but were afraid to ask, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1974, p. 35. 3 M. Rangaswami and H. K. Sen, A Hand-Book of Shellac Analysis, Indian Lac Research Institute, Namkum, India, 1952, p. 115.