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3. Researches on some of the Crystalline Constituents of 

 Opium. By Dr Thomas Anderson. 



The author commenced his paper by referring to the numerous 

 researches on opium which had ah-eady appeared, and stated that not- 

 withstanding their number and extent, our information on the pro- 

 perties and composition of its various bases and indifferent con- 

 stituents was still extremely imperfect. He had therefore submitted 

 some of them to a renewed examination, employing as the source 

 from which they were obtained the mother liquor of the manufacturers 

 of muriate of morphia. By ti-eatment of this hquor in a manner 

 detailed in full in the paper, he obtained from it a large quantity of 

 narcotine, and a certain proportion of thebaine and narceine. 



Narceine was obtained in the form of extremely delicate needles, 

 which mat together into a silky mass. It is soluble in water and 

 alcohol, but not in ether. Potash and ammonia in moderately dilute 

 solutions dissolve it more readily than water, but the addition of a 

 laro-e quantity of caustic potash causes its precipitation in shining 

 scales. Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves it in the cold, with an 

 intense red colour, passing into green on the application of heat. 

 Hydrochloric acid dissolves it entirely, but without producing the 

 blue colour which, according to Pelletier, is characteristic of nar- 

 ceine. Narceine, though incapable of restoring the colour of red- 

 dened litmus, possesses feebly basic properties, and forms salts with 

 the strong acids. Its analysis gave results corresponding with the 

 formula C^g H.,g NOj^g, which was confirmed by the analysis of 

 its platinum salt. The hydrochlorate, platinochloride, sulphate, and 

 nitrate, ai-e also described. 



Thebaine crystallises in fine silvery plates. It is insoluble in 

 water, but very soluble in alcohol and ether. It forms salts which 

 cannot be obtained in crystals from their aqueous solution. It is 

 insoluble in potash and ammonia. Strong sulphuric acid reacts 

 upon it, and produces an intense blood-red colour even when entirely 

 free from nitric acid. Sulphuric acid of specific gravity 1'300 

 dissolves it in the cold, but on heating a resinous semisolid mass is 

 thrown down, which slowly dissolves in boiling water, and deposits 

 on cooling a rather sparingly soluble salt in microscopic needles, 

 which appears to be a product of decomposition. 



