220 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



of altered morphia with iodine and iodic acid. The facts stated by 

 Serullas are important ; the action of iodine upon morphia supplies 

 an excellent method of ascertaining the presence of the smallest 

 trace of morphia, and vice versa, of detecting iodine in the state of 

 iodic acid. 



M. Pelletier adds, that when iodic acid is put in contact with 

 morphia, the first effect is that of reducing the iodic acid. The 

 oxygen of the acid acts upon the elements of the morphia, probably 

 upon its hydrogen j hence the formation of the rose-coloured sub- 

 stance, as when morphia is treated with concentrated nitric acid. 

 As soon, however, as the iodine is set free, if any uncombined mor- 

 phia remains, the iodine combines with it, to form the orange brown 

 matter already described. If this brown matter, obtained as above, 

 or by the direct action of iodine upon morphia, be again treated 

 with iodic acid, it is acted upon and the rose-coloured com- 

 pound is again formed. M. Pelletier remarks that the red substance 

 derived from the oxygenating action of iodic acid upon morphia 

 merits a minute comparison with the red matter obtained by the ana- 

 logous action of nitric acid upon it. 



Hydriodic acid combines directly with morphia and forms a white 

 silky salt, which is more soluble than the hydriodates of the other 

 vegetable alkalis. In the hydriodic acid, the iodine being saturated 

 with hydrogen, cannot act upon that of the morphia. But if the hy- 

 drogen of the hydriodate be separated, the reaction of the iodine on 

 the morphia then commences and continues. 



Iodine and Codeia may be combined by direct action. The 

 iodide is brown and but slightly soluble in water. When codeia is 

 treated with an alcoholic solution of iodine, the iodide is also formed, 

 but the hydriodate is obtained with it. Of all the vegetable alkalis 

 codeia gives the greatest quantity of hydriodate when treated with 

 an alcoholic solution of iodine ; probably on account of the greater 

 solubility of the codeia. 



Hydriodate of morphia exists in the mother waters, and it is co- 

 loured by the iodide. It may be obtained very white by directly 

 combining the codeia with the hydriodic acid. In external cha- 

 racters it greatly resembles hydriodate of morphia, but differs from 

 it essentially in not having its base separated by ammonia. Iodic 

 acid combines directly with codeia. The crystals contained excess 

 of acid ; they are very fine flattened needles and fan-shaped. 



Although this salt was prepared with codeia, which had been re- 

 dissolved in aether, the crystals were slightly coloured by a brown 

 yellowish matter ; this is, however, separated by crystallizing the 

 iodate repeatedly. The colour appears to be owing to a little mor- 

 phia retained by the codeia. It is probable that the differences 

 existing in the ultimate analyses which have been performed are 

 derived from the presence of a little morphia. M. Pelletier is de- 

 cidedly of opinion it is neither a compound containing morphia nor 

 derived from it, as has lately been endeavoured to be proved. — Ann. 

 de Chim. et de Phys. vol. lxiii, p. 164. 



