868 Dr. Blyth on the Compositiofi of Narcoime. 



An ounce and a half of narcotine, dissolved in dilute hydro- 

 chloric acid, was precipitated by bichloride of platinum, and 

 formed into a thin paste by the addition of distilled water. 

 A large excess of bichloride of platinum, amounting fully to 

 the quantity used for precipitation, was then added, and the 

 whole heated in a basin over a fire. Upon the mass becoming 

 blood-warm, the colour of the fluid portion changed from 

 yellow to orange, and traces of opianic acid were formed. 

 On further elevation of the temperature, but considerably 

 before arriving at the boiling-point, the fluid assumed a still 

 darker orange colour, the platinum double salt melted, and a 

 quantity of opianic acid made its appearance. To ensure an 

 uniform product ebullition was continued for half an hour, 

 at the end of which time the opianic acid was re-dissolved 

 and the surface of the liquid became covered with dark red 

 crystals. These were separated by rapid filtration, and washed 

 with hot distilled water to free them from all traces of the ac- 

 companying acid. The acid was deposited in fine needles 

 from the filtered liquid on cooling. The mother-liquor, de- 

 canted and further evaporated, gave another portion mingled 

 with long crystals of a rhombic prismatic form. These being 

 more soluble than the opianic acid, were redissolved and sepa- 

 rated by filtration. 



The fluid evaporated to one-tenth its original quantity be- 

 came of a very dark brown colour, gave off hydrochloric 

 acid abundantly, and deposited large colourless crystals in 

 the form of rhombohedrons, which upon resolution and rapid 

 crystallization assumed their original figure of long rhombic 

 prisms. 



Whilst proceeding with my investigation. Prof. Liebig in- 

 formed me that he had received a communication from Prof. 

 Wohler of Gottingen, stating that in studying the products of 

 the decomposition of narcotine by the action of peroxide of 

 manganese and sulphuric acid, on which he had for some time 

 been engaged, he had already produced, among other results, 

 some of the same compounds as those derived by me through 

 the agency of the bichloride of platinum. I have therefore con- 

 fined my investigation merely to the study of those substances 

 I had already obtained, and have adopted the names proposed 

 by Prof. Wohler for those of them which had been also found 

 by him. 



The red platinum salt, platinchloride of cotarnin, crystal- 

 lizes in large red, six-sided prisms, which are slightly soluble 

 in hot water, and can be boiled in ammonia without suffering 

 decomposition. 



I. 2-679 grms. of this salt dried at 100° C. gave of metallic 



