348 DR ANDERSON’S RESEARCHES ON SOME OF THE 
Morphine, F 3 2 . , Copetig NOE 
Codeine, . 5 5 5 5 5 Crepe NO; 
Papareine, : z 3 é . C,, H,, NO, 
Narcotine, ; : : : : Pete pen On, 
And the products of decomposition have been entered upon in some detail in 
the case of narcotine and codeine, but are still entirely unexamined in the other 
two. : 
Of the remaining six, porphoroxine is as yet unanalysed ; opianine is only of 
recent discovery, and the details of its analysis not having yet been published, 
the formula given for it must still be considered doubtful. The other four 
have been submitted to analysis, most of them at the time of their discovery, but 
the results obtained are very imperfect, and not of a character to inspire much 
confidence in their accuracy. The following are the formule which have been 
most generally adopted for these substances :— 
Thebaine, . ; i . é : (Creal tie ACY 
Pseudomorphine, . . . «. Cy H,NO,, 
Narceine, . . : F 5 : Ci, Hy, NOs 
Opianine, . ; : . : 0 Cee, NOs 
Meconine, . ; ; : ; ‘ Creo. 
These formule are very far from being satisfactory ; indeed, most of them are 
purely empirical, and even in those instances in which the atomic weight has 
been determined, it has been done according to some of the older methods, on 
which much dependence could not at any time be placed, and which are now 
entirely superseded by more accurate and satisfactory methods of experiment. 
As far as their physical properties are concerned we have tolerably—though only 
tolerably—accurate information ; but of their products of decomposition absolutely 
nothing is known except in the case of meconine, on which we have just sufficient 
information to shew how much interesting matter lies ready for investigation. 
The following paper contains the result of a pretty extended investigation of 
some of the constituents of opium, to which my attention has been directed by 
the facilities afforded, by an extensive morphia manufactory, of obtaining products 
which, though commercially little better than refuse, are of much interest in a 
scientific point of view. 
For the preparation of the bases which form the subject of my investigation, 
I have made use of the mother liquors of the preparation of muriate of morphine 
by the process of RoperTson and Grecory. This method, as is well known, con- 
sists in precipitating the aqueous infusion of opium with a solution of chloride of 
calcium, filtering from the meconate of lime and evaporating the solution to a 
small bulk. On cooling, crystals of muriate of morphine are deposited, which are 
separated by expression, and the mother liquor again evaporated. A fresh crop 
of crystals is thus obtained, and the evaporation is continued as long as muriate of 

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