Under The Microscope: Hallucinogenic Drugs

Drugs of dependence may be absorbed orally, by intra venous, subcutaneous or - rarely intramuscular injection, by smoking, or by nasal sniffing. The routine at autopsy, in respect of obtaining samples for toxicological analysis, is altered according to the route of administration. As mixing of drugs and addition of non-narcotic drugs is common, itis the usual practice to take a wide range of samples even if the primary route is known with some degree of certainty For example, an addict dying 'on the needle' where intravenous injection is obvious, will still have stomach contents taken for investigation. The standard samples should be taken, as described in a previous chapter, comprising several samples of venous blood (one with fluoride), stomach and contents, liver and urine. In some circumstances, additional samples such as bile, cerebrospinal fluid and vitreous humour may be taken, as well as brain or kidney. The great advances in the analytical techniques allow the analysis...