370 Dr. Bly th on the Composition of Narcotine. 



groups of colourless needles. It melts at 100° C. into a brown 

 mass, without suffering decomposition, and loses about 7 per 

 cent, of its weight. It is slightly soluble in cold, but more 

 so in hot water. Alcohol forms with it a daik brown solution, 

 from which the cotarnin cannot again be obtained in a cry- 

 stalline form. In ammonia and tether it is readily dissolved, 

 but is insoluble in potash. Strong nitric acid forms with it a 

 dark red solution. The persalts of iron do not affect its co- 

 lour. Its watery solution precipitates salts of copper and of the 

 protoxide of iron. 



The salts of cotarnin are obtained by dissolving this base 

 in the dilute acids ; they are extremely soluble. 



0*1807 grm. of cotarnin, dried at 100° C. and burned with 

 peroxide of copper, gave carbonic acid 0*437, water 0*1040. 



Per cent. 

 Carbon =65*95 

 Hydrogen = 6*39 



These numbers correspond to those calculated from the 

 formula given by the platinum salt. 



Calculated. 

 66*61 



5*77 



28 14*5 = calculated atomic weight. 



The difference between the carbon found and calculated 

 arises partly from the small quantity of substance employed 

 in the analysis, a second combustion was made of a larger 

 portion of crystallized cotarnin dried over sulphuric acid. 



0*0357 grm. of crystallized cotarnin dried over sulphuric 

 acid gave carbonic acid 0*756, water 0*193. 



0*5852 grm. of the same, for the determination of nitro- 

 gen, gave, according to the method of Will and Varrentrapp, 

 0*224 grm. of metallic platinum. 



These numbers correspond to the formula C25 H^g NOg. 



3039*5 100*00 100*00 



The formula of crystallized cotarnin deduced from this is 

 C25 H,3 N Og + 2Aq, which is satisfactorily confirmed by a di- 

 rect determination of the water of crystallization. 



