Resumen

WISNIAK, Jaime. JEAN PIERRE BERNARD EDOUARD FILHOL. Rev. CENIC Cienc. Biol [online]. 2021, vol.52, n.3, pp. 281-295.  Epub 01-Dic-2021. ISSN 2221-2450.

Edouard Filhol (1801-1891) was a French physician and chemist to whom we owe a detailed study of the varieties of Indian copal; he proved that this resin was actually a mixture of five different resins (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and epsilon). He developed the method for separating them and determined their properties and formulas. He also proved that the capsules of poppy contained very little morphine (0.02 g), so that the sedative effect of its extract had to be very small or nil when compared with the same weight of opium. Filhol carried a detailed analysis of the pigments present in flowers and the change in their color under the influence of acids and bases. He separated the different pigments and discovered a new one, equivalent to xanthogene. He also studied the composition and reactions of chlorophyll and proposed that this substance was actually a mixture of four colored materials. He acted as a legal forensic expert and perfected the methods for detecting poisoning by arsenic and phosphorus. He proposed the use of a mixture of sulfuric and nitric acids for destroying the organic matter in the samples.

Palabras clave : arsenic; chlorophyll; copal; flower colors; poisoning.

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