DICTIONAR-^' 111' THE ACTIVE I'HINI tl'I.ES 



(IS- 



Crystallizes in leaflets or needles with :!H^,t) ; not fusible without de- 

 composiiion : neutral reaction, nut poisonous and not bitter. 



Soluble in hot amyl alcohol (and in excess of ammonia, by means of 

 which it IS best purified) : insoluble iu water, alcohol, ether, chloroform, 

 or carbon bisulphide. 

 Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates, dissolve. 

 Ammonia, pp. sol. in excess. 

 [No pp. lead acetate.] 



Ferric chloride, blue or brownish-green coloration. 

 [Picric acid, not dilute.] 

 Colour tests with acids : 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, olive-green ; or colourless if pure H^SO,. 

 then yellow ; but trace of iron in the acid causes a blue->^violet->~ 

 brownish-green. 

 Concentrated sulphuric acid with sugar, blue to green if trace of 



iron, or green to brown in absence of latter. 

 Dissolved in filt per cent, sulphuric acid, gradual bluish-green ; then 



more water'»~red. 

 Nitric acid added to this solution, deep violet (Morphine under these 



conditions gives rose-raspberry red. 

 Nitric acid alone, blood-red. 



(.■i) NARCOTINE A. (Meconine-hj'drocotarmine ; Upianine '? ; Aconel- 

 line; the aldehyde of 0.vynarcotine) ; <JjoHo;,NO-, Matthieson. Crystallizes 

 in rhombic prisms or needles ; sp. gr. 1".:!7 to 1'.59 ; M.P. lliV', 155°, 17(')° 

 (different observers) ; laavo-rotatory in neutral solution, or dextro-rota- 

 toi'y in acid ; reaction neutral ; tasteless, but salts are bitter, and are 

 soluble in alcohol, ether and water. Decomposes, na heating, to Meco- 

 niue and Cotarnine. See (3(() and (22). 



Solubility (results of different observers are not concordant. As in 

 the case of Morphine, solubility is apparently influenced by physical con- 

 ditions) : Cold water, 1 in 20,UOO ; boiling water, 1 in 7,000 (or 1,500 and 

 600 respectively for the base freshly precipitated by ammonia) ; alcohol, 

 cold 1 in 80, boiling 1 in 20 ; amyl alcohol, 1 in .'SOO ; chloroform, 1 in 

 2"G'.i ; ether, 1 in 16(j cold, 1 in 48 boiling ; benzene, 1 in 22 ; acetic ether, 

 1 in iJll ; also in fatty oils ; scarcely soluble in petroleum ether. 



Removed by benzene or ether from alkaline solutions (also fiom dried 

 opium). 



Precipitants : 



Alkaline hydrates, insoluble in excess cold, but dissolved on heatiuir. 

 ,, carbonates | 

 „ bicarbonates insoluble in excess. 



Ammonia ) 



Lime water, soluble in excess. 



[Not lead acetate.] 



[Tannic acid, cloud ; slight pp. with hydrochloric acid.] 



[Not gallic acid.] 



Picric acid, yellow crystalline ; cloud at 1 in 4,000. 



[Ferric chloride, no blue coloration]. 



[Platinum chloride, in concentrated solutions, yellow pp.]- 



[Gold chloride, in concentrated solutions, yellow pp. with reduction 

 of gold.] 



[Potassium ferrocyanide, concentrated solutions, but not 1 in 200.] 



[Not potassium ferricyanide.] 



Potassium sulphocyanide, 1 in 200 readily sol. in acids. 



Silver potassic cyanide, immediate pp. amorphous. 



Potassium chromate, p]). tree Narcotine. 



., bichromate, slight at 1 in 400 ; pp. = Narcotine-biohromate. 



Phospho-molybdic acid, brownish-yelloW', 1 in 3,000 ; limit 1 in 4,00n. 

 „ tungstic acid, limit 1 in S,000. 



., antimonic acid, yellow flocculent, 1 in l,00O ; cloud at 1 in 

 2,.'-|00. 



lodo-potassic iodide, red, 1 in 8,000. 



Bismuth-potassic iodide, orange-red, limit 1 in 4, Odd. 



Oadmium-potassic iodide, 1 in I'lJiHO ; limit 1 in 8,000. 



[Zinc-potassic iodide, scarcely.] 



Mercuric-potassic iodide, white; slight at 1 in 8,dOd ; limit 1 in 

 50,000. 



Mercuric chloride, cloud, then pp. ; cloud 1 in .S,0OO. 



Chlorine water, greenish, changing to yellow with ammonia 

 (i-gramme in solution). 



Bromine water, yellow pp. 



Potassium bromide, slight at 1 in 8,000. 

 Colour tests : 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, colourless, gradually yellow (red after 

 several days. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, on gradually warming to 200^, bluish- 

 violet, but not below ".I0°-100° (see Curarine). 



