246 



the precefling ; the hydriodate of narcotine resulting from the action 

 was an oily substance of a brownish colour, which could not be made 

 to crystallize ; it was soluble in hot water, and ammonia threw down 

 from this solution a precipitate easily recognised as narcotine-; its 

 nature was fully substantiated by the quantitative analysis of its pla- 

 tinum compound, which gave results agreeing with the salt of nar- 

 cotine, whose formula is this, 



C,,H,,NO,,HCl,PtCV 



The result of this experiment calls to mind a preliminary notice 

 of Wertheim,* in which he announced his detection in opium of two 

 new species of " narcotine," which he terms methylo and propylo- 

 narcotine, while the ordinary alkaloid he regards as ethylo-narcotine. 

 The proof of the existence of this series is desirable, because the 

 ordinary alkaloid, the material of the above experiment, would then 

 seem to be a compound ammonium, and stand a solitary instance of 

 such a substance, unless papaverine be of the same nature. The 

 details of Wertheim's researches have not appeared, but the subject 

 is worthy of being made clear, as there is nothing in the characters 

 of papaverine and naixotine to distinguish them from other alkaloids 

 as a class of bodies. 



Cotarnine and Iodide of Ethyl. 



Hydriodate of Cotarnine. — This base, a derivative from narcotine 

 by oxidation, behaved quite like its parent under the same circum- 

 stances. The hydriodate of cotarnine is a red-brown oil, very 

 soluble in hot, insoluble in cold, water ; the nature of its base was 

 ascertained by the formation of its platinum salt, which was a pale 

 yellow substance, and gave numbers on analysis in accordance with 

 the true salt of cotarnine, 



C2eH,3NOgHCl,PtCV 



The formation of these hydriodates in the presence of water is 

 possibly brought about by the change of iodide of ethyl and water 

 into hydriodic acid and ether, observed by Franklandf to take place 

 at 300° Fahr. ; the presence of bases may determine the change at 

 a much lower temperature. 



Where water is absent, it is not easy to see how they are formed, 



* Chem. Gazette, 1852, p. 36. t Gerhardt. Suite de Berzelius, ii., 323. 



