
CRYSTALLINE CONSTITUENTS OF OPIUM. 365 


Yield 
1 eq. of cotarnine, C,, H,,,NO , 
1 eq. of opianyl, : 3 Crate Os, 
2 eq. of water, é A : 4 ee? 10%, 
C,, H,, NO 
The same scheme, with the addition of two or four equivalents of oxygen, re- 
presents also the mode in which opianic and hemipinic acids respectively are 
derived from narcotine, much more simply than it has been by Bryru* in his 
paper on the action of bichloride of platinum on narcotine, who gives a scheme 
involving the evolution of carbonic acid. The appearance of this gas, which was 
actually observed by Biyru during the action, has, however, always appeared to 
me to be the result of a secondary decomposition ; and this view, I think, receives 
confirmation from the production of teropiammon, where nitric acid acts even in 
the most feeble manner on narcotine, and the formation of which must, of neces- 
sity, be attended by the evolution of carbonic acid. 
If we pursue the relations of opianyl to narcotine, we shall find that these 
also are of a very interesting nature. By subtracting an equivalent of cotarnine 
from one of narcotine, 


Narcotine, : ; : ; é Ciel INO 
Cotarnine, : : : : : C,, H,, NO, 
Cy Hy, O, 
we find that the substance coupled with cotarnine to form narcotine may be con- 
sidered as a hydruret of opianyl, or a substance bearing to opiany] a relation simi- 
lar to that which alloxantin bears to alloxan, and the preparation of which in a 
separate form would be most interesting. The attempts which I have made to 
obtain it have, however, as yet proved abortive. I have tried the action of sul- 
phuretted hydrogen upon opianyl, but no change took place, and also the fer- 
mentation of narcotine, but with equally little success. Although this hydruret 
of opianyl has not been obtained in a separate form, we have a corresponding 
compound in the sulphopianic acid of WouEr, which may be considered as hydru- 
ret of opianyl, in which the two equivalents of hydrogen are replaced by sulphur. 
Hydruret of opianyl, ; 4 : C,) H,, 0,+H, 
Sulphopianic acid, . , 2 4 C,, H,, 0,+ 8, 
and in this point of view the latter substance deserves a further investigation. It 
bears certain analogies in properties to opianyl, and especially gives a purple 
_ colour when heated with sulphuric acid ; but it appears to possess acid proper- 
- ties, although they are certainly very feeble. 
Hydrate of Opianyl.—On one occasion, in acting upon narcotine with nitric 
acid, there was obtained a substance which closely resembled opianyl, but differed 
* Annalen der Chimie und Pharmacie, vol. 1., p. 29. 
