
CRYSTALLINE CONSTITUENTS OF OPIUM. 369 
evaporating to dryness in the water-bath and crystallising the residue from alco- 
hol or water. It is thus obtained in the form of tufts of extremely light and bulky 
crystals, sparingly soluble in cold water, but more so in boiling. It fuses when 
dry at the temperature of 270° Fahr., but melts easily under boiling water into a 
transparent fluid. It is strongly acid to test paper. Its aqueous solution does 
not precipitate the salts of lead or silver, but gives with perchloride of iron a 
bulky, pale brownish-yellow precipitate. It dissolves readily in potash, and the 
solution, on boiling, evolves alcohol. 



' 5-445 grains hemipinovinic acid, dried at 212°, gave 
10-603... carbonic acid, and 
W227 Dee Bem eVaueL: 
Experiment. Calculation. 
St eee 
Carbon, : - 56°45 56°69 CH 144 
Hydrogen, . E 5:67 5°51 He, 14 
Oxygen, 5 7 37:88 37:80 OF 96 
100-00 100-00 254 
This corresponds exactly with the formula 
: C, H, 0 HO C,, H, 0,,; 
but the crystallised substance contains, in addition, three equivalents of water of 
crystallisation. 5°74 grains lost 0°570 grains at 212°, corresponding to 9:93 per 
cent., and the calculation for three equivalents gives 9°60. Crystallised hemi- 
 pinovinic acid has, therefore, the formula 
C, H, 0 HO C,, H, 0,,+3 HO. 
Although hemipinovinic acid possesses distinctly acid properties, and is capable 
of combining with bases, I have failed in obtaining its compounds in a state of 
purity. Its baryta salt was obtained in tufts of minute needles, by digesting the 
solution of the acid with carbonate of baryta, or baryta water, evaporating, dis- 
solving in water and recrystallising. But the compound could not be obtained in 
a state fitted for analysis, and appears to be very liable to undergo decomposition. 
The existence of an acid potass salt, and an acid ether, appear to me to esta- 
blish, in the most conclusive manner, the bibasic character of hemipinic acid, and 
to connect it most closely with opianic acid. It is, however, very remarkable, that 
by the simple addition of two equivalents of oxygen, the latter acid, which is 
unequivocally monobasic, should acquire bibasic properties. The compounds and 
products of decomposition of both acids are deserving of further study, but want 
of time has prevented my pursuing this part of the investigation further. 
XI. Action of Nitric Acid on Cotarnine. 
T have already mentioned that narcotine, when treated with strong nitric acid, 
undergoes a very powerful oxidation, in which products of further changes are 
