The reported instances of fatal nicotine poisoning according to Webster 1 and to Beeman and Hunter 2 are relatively infrequent. The nicotine insecticides are the usual preparations of nicotine used for suicidal purposes. To our knowledge there have been no reports of poisoning with a dry salt of nicotine. The case reported here was one of suicide which came to the Los Angeles County coroner. The autopsy revealed no evident cause of death. The viscera were therefore sent to the county chemist for analysis. Following the usual routine for extracting alkaloids there was left, after evaporation of the alkaline ether extract of the stomach contents, a considerable quantity of white crystalline material. This white residue was purified and proved to be nicotine by the mercury bichloride and gold chloride microchemical tests and this was confirmed by biologic tests on frogs. Chemical examination showed that the nicotine salt was not the