History Main / FingertipDrugAnalysis

* Accidental in ''Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}}''. Elliot decides to taste the strange powdery product in his barn... and sees that it's cocaine. ([[GratuitousSpanish "!Es cocaina! !COCAINA!"]])

* Accidental in ''Film/{{Bedazzled 2000}}''. Elliot decides to taste the strange powdery product in his barn... and sees that it's cocaine. ([[GratuitousSpanish "¡Es cocaína! ¡COCAÍNA!"]])

* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=4412 Seymour tests an arrow head while asking if it's poison.]] (From his point of view, that it's Cupid's is probably worse.)

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': A variation in "Sightings". Harm notices a puddle on the tarmac and touches it before rubbing it between his fingers. It's aircraft engine oil. Which wouldn't be weird to find at an abandoned military airfield except that it should have dried up long ago unless a plane was there very recently.

* ''Series/{{JAG}}'': In "The Brotherhood", Captain Overton identifies a stash of drugs this way (specifically, he knows it's Crank (crystal meth) rather than Crack (cocaine). Harm [[LampshadeHanging snarks at him, asking how he could know]], and Overton explains that he was in a street gang before cleaning up and joining the Marines.

* Luffy of ''Manga/OnePiece'' does it once with a strange green powder he found near a hut in the desert. Not so much to identify it than to see if it can be eaten (it doesn't; it's an alchemical powder used to cause rain). Justified in that Luffy is perpetually hungry, his first approach to anything new is "IsItSomethingYouEat", and he's a moron.

* In the third ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'' movie, the T-X analyzes blood samples this way. A bit of a variation in that she knows it's blood (der), but has to find out whose DNA it is. Justified in the T-X is a machine and as such it is entirely reasonable that it would be built to be able to perform that test with built-in equipment. Moreover, unlike a human cop she's highly unlikely to be poisoned as a result of tasting something nasty.

* In one episode of ''Series/{{House}}'', Thirteen does this when trying to track down what their patient's cocaine was cut with. Justified, however, in that Thirteen has a chronic case of death wish.

* On ''Series/TheIncredibleHulk'' David taste-tested some white powder he found on his foot after transforming back from being the Hulk. (Hulk had rampaged through a warehouse full of drugs.) Possibly justified in that he ''is'' a [[OmnidisciplinaryScientist doctor]].

* The psychedelic properties of LSD were first discovered through something similar to this -- though in LSD's case, it's slightly more justified than normal, since it wasn't ingested, but absorbed and took effect ''by touch''. Following the initial discovery, the same scientist, Albert Hofmann, took a more controlled dose. [[MushroomSamba The effects]] were [[GoneHorriblyRight somewhat stronger than he had expected]].

* In the movie version of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', Dumbledore does this to some blood that's dripped onto Harry's forehead from the ceiling, but doesn't immediately comment. After he locates Slughorn, he identifies it as dragon's blood (which, as the alchemist who discovered the twenty uses of the substance, makes sense and reveals that it's what made him positive the ransacked house was faked.

* Spoofed in ''Film/{{Charade}}'', when Audrey Hepburn and CaryGrant are going through her late husband's luggage to see if they can find something valuable enough for him to have been murdered for. They find a tin of what appears to be tooth powder; at her urging, he does the test... and concludes that either it's peppermint-flavoured heroin or it really is tooth powder.

* Done to ridiculous extremes in ''Film/{{Dolemite}}'', where supposed police officers actually inhale the cocaine they seize.

The mysterious white powder (almost) never, ever, ever turns out to be a deadly poison that kills our hero outright, despite the fact that he's found something, doesn't know what it is, and is stupid enough to put it directly in his mouth.

* A variation appeared in ''TheAmazingSpiez''. The kids are investigating the cocooning of various scientists/important people and while on-site, Marc takes the liberty of performing this trope on the yellow substance used on the victim. His siblings are [[{{Squick}} understandably disgusted]] and somewhat baffled but Marc is quick to inform them it's just honey. Now why the SmartGuy of the team in both this and the above example took the liberty of doing this is unclear.

* The psychedelic properties of LSD were first discovered through something similar to this -- though in LSD's case, it's slightly more justified than normal, since it wasn't ingested, but absorbed and took effect ''by touch''. Following the initial discovery, the same scientist, Albert Hofmann, took a more controlled dose. The effects were somewhat stronger than he had expected.

* Also spoofed in [[ThereIsNoSuchThingAsNotability the Utah film]] ''[[MormonCinema The Singles Ward]]'', when a young woman is arrested for breaking in to what turns out to be her own apartment. A plastic tub full of white powder is handed to the senior partner (played by a Morning Radio Personality), who takes a deep whiff, buries his finger in it, sticks the whole finger in his mouth, and pronounces it "Tide".

* Done in ''Film/GoodFellas'' by the narcs when the find the carton of egg-shaped bricks of cocaine.

* Done in ''Film/Goodfellas'' by the narcs with the carton of egg-shaped bricks of cocaine.

* In the movie version of ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince'', Dumbledore does this to some blood that's dripped onto Harry's forehead from the ceiling, but doesn't immediately comment. After he locates Slughorn, he identifies it as dragon's blood (which, as the alchemist who discovered the twenty uses of the substance, [[FridgeBrilliance makes sense]]) and reveals that it's what made him positive the ransacked house was faked.

* ''Series/MurdochMysteries'': Although usually portrayed as the smart one, Inspector Murdoch does it once with a white powder found at a crime scene. Constable Crabtree gets agitated and warn him that it could be poisonous, but Murdoch tells him it's just plaster.

** A similar variation later appeared in ''TheAmazingSpiez''. The kids are investigating the cocooning of various scientists/important people and while on-site, Marc takes the liberty of performing this trope on the yellow substance used on the victim. His siblings are [[{{Squick}} understandably disgusted]] and somewhat baffled but Marc is quick to inform them it's just honey. [[FridgeLogic Now why the]] SmartGuy [[FridgeLogic of the team in both this and the above example took the liberty of doing this is unclear.]]
*** [[FridgeLogic Unless they had smelled it, put two and two together, and wanted to confirm that the mysterious substance was their respective condiment]] [[FridgeLogic (which would still unsanitary, but somewhat more reasonable)]]?

The mysterious white powder (almost) never, ever, ever turns out to be a deadly poison that kills our hero outright, despite the fact that he's found something, doesn't know what it is, and is stupid enough to put it in his mouth.

Despite the obvious hazards (not to mention the fact that a police officer could get in serious trouble if they were tested and found to have a drug in their system), this was TruthInTelevision to the extent that certain drugs (opium, for example) have a distinctive taste or odor. Cocaine can be identified not by taste, but by the way it instantly numbs where it touches. However, any modern police lab is loaded with all kinds of test equipment for just this - without it, it's just a cop's word on the stand. But if a chemical reaction proves it's really drugs, it's a lot harder for a lawyer to disprove, and a lot safer for the cop (see the Real Life entries) as well.