THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 109 



to be always higher and more constant is certainly wrong in its instruction to 

 than by the 1880 U.S. P. process; the dry at 96°— 100°, meaning obviously in 

 greatest difference of percentage 9- 2:7-3. a water-bath. It has never been the 

 and the least 9-4 : 90. Admirable as custom to reckon morphine in the anhy- 

 the method is, and altogether superior to drous state. Moreover, morphine loses 

 that presently official in the British its water very slowly at the temperature 

 Pharmacopoeia, it is still not above criti- of a water-bath. If anhydrous morphme 

 cism. It is .rather elaborate, requiring is desired, then dry at no m an air- 

 too great an expenditure of time for or- bath. Of course, if the morphine is to 

 dinary practical purposes. I think also be titrated with standard acid, it does 

 it gives results rather under the truth, matter whether it is over-dried or not. 

 particularly ifcorrected by the lime-wat- Kebler's paper entered very fully 

 er treatment. To precipitate about i grm. into the amount and nature of the mm- 

 of morphine from over 30 c.c. of solution eral matter found in the morphine pre- 

 containing nearly one-third volume of ^ipitate, and on the determination of the 

 alcohol and excess of ammonia, is not ash as a means of correcting for impuri- 

 possible without appreciable loss. Of ties. Several years ago Dr. C H. 

 course there must always be some loss in Warden analyzed the ash of Indian opi- 

 precipitating an alkaloid like morphine, um, and found ("Chem. News," xxxvuK 

 but the point is that the loss ought to be h6) the the following percentages:— 

 as small and as constant as possible. 1.98 FeA, 7-i3 CaO, 2.31 MgO, 37-24 

 This is to be sought for in keeping the K,0, 1.70 Na,0, 23.14 SO3, 10.90 P^Os, 

 solution concentrated and avoiding a 1527 SiO^. In 1881 I contributed a 

 large proportion of spirit. The assumpt- paper (Proc. R.S.E., Jan. 1881) on the 

 ion that alcohol saturated with morphine salts of meconic acid, and showed how 

 cannot dissolve a further quantity of readily that acid forms a basic calcium 

 morphine is not to be implicitly trusted salt. I have since proved that this basic 

 when the spirit has become charged with salt neutralises acids, as one would ex- 

 other matters, and the morphine precipi- pect, and that its formation should, if 

 tate may not be entirely in the crystalline possible be avoided, as leading to a slight 

 state. There is a slight element of risk in error in titrating the precipitated mor- 

 this washing with morphiated spirit, more pbine with acid. Kebler found in 

 especially should the precipitate be ex- the morphine (U.S.P. 1890 process) 0.9 

 ceptionally impure. Dr. Squibb found to 1.4 per cent, of ash; of the composit- 

 the impurity to vary considerably, as in- lO": 

 dicated by the lime-water test, and Dr. Soluble in water (K3CO3, K.SO,. NaCl)..7.88 



. , ^ , , . , , Silica 0.83 



Wamwright found that m a sample of Ai^^i^iutn phosphate 0.43 



Persian opium the 16 per cent, of mor- Magnesium phosphate ---13-45 



phine indicated was reduced to 1 1 per Calcium carbonate 56.17 



cent, when corrected by treatment with It is evident, therefore, that even if the 



lime-water, so that the precipitate which calcium existed wholly as basic meconate, 



is being treated is not a constant factor, the error in titrating would not be very 



In the American discussion Dr. Squibb serious. But there is a more interesting 



received general support in his content- fact brought out in Kebler's results, 



ion that the morphine should be dried at which might almost have been anticipa- 

 60° C, so as to avoid loss of water of ted from Warden's analysis. I refer 



hydration. The British Pharmacopoeia o the considerable amount of potassium 



