ISSN: 0022-1198
Page Count: 4

A Simple Laboratory Test for the Determination of the Chemical Form of Cocaine
Logan, BK
Research toxicologist, laboratory supervisor, and laboratory director, University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences, TN

Stafford, DT
Research toxicologist, laboratory supervisor, and laboratory director, University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences, TN

Steve Nichols, H
Research toxicologist, laboratory supervisor, and laboratory director, University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences, TN

(Received 17 May 1988; accepted 4 August 1988)

Abstract

The authors describe a simple chemical test to determine whether a suspect specimen contains cocaine and if so whether it is present as free base cocaine or in a salt form. The distinction is based on the relative solubility of the two compounds in aqueous or organic solvent. The test, based on the widely accepted cobalt thiocyanate color reaction, is performed in three stages to make the interpretation as complete as possible.

Keywords:
toxicology, cocaine, drug identification

Paper ID: JFS12690J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS12690J
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