Ll i carla Ἐπ τ es πο Ψψ τ 
TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 47 
CHEMISTRY. 
On the Action of Owidizing Ageénts on certain Organic Bases. 
By T. Annverson, M.D., F.RSE. 
Tue author commenced by remarking, that the past year had formed an important 
epoch in the history of the organic bases, and had been distinguished by a variety of 
researches which had gone fat towards the establishment of the true constitution of 
the artificial volatile bases. ‘The extreme complexity of the natural fixed bases, and 
the slender success attending their investigation, had hitherto prevented chemists 
paying much attention to the action of different reagents upon that class of bases, 
although there could be no doubt as to the importance of the results to be obtained. 
The recent investigations of the volatile bases had however removed many of the dif- 
ficulties besetting that of the more complex class; and we might now with justice 
expect the speedy determination of their constitution also. 
In the course of some experiments, made with another object, the author had had 
occasion to observe some remarkable facts, which had led to an extended examination 
of the general action of oxidizing agents on the organic alkalies, and seemed likely to 
throw some light upon their constitution. 
When codeine is treated with very dilute nitric acid, a substitution base, nééro- 
codeine, is obtained, which the author had described in a paper which would be pub- 
lished in the next part of the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; but 
when the acid is of moderate strength, very violent action takes place, with the evo- 
lution of nitrous fumes and the production of an orange solution, from which water 
throws down a resinous acid, sparingly soluble in water, readily in aleohol. The 
analysis of this substance had not yet been fully completed; but the results obtained 
indicate a formula derived from that of codeine by the substitution of more than one 
equivalent of NO, and the addition of several equivalents of oxygen. When mixed 
with water, and dilute solution of potash added, it dissolves with a dark red colour ; 
and by boiling the solution, a volatile base, possessing a strong peculiar odour, is 
evolved, and by distillation obtained dissolved in the water in the receiver. The 
fluid which distils is strongly alkaline ; and when saturated with hydrochloric acid 
and evaporated on the water-bath, yields a highly crystalline salt, which dissolves 
readily in absolute alcohol, and gives, with bichloride of platinum, a fine yellow salt, 
insoluble in alcohol, but soluble in water. The salt so obtained gave on analysis 
results corresponding to the formula C; Hy N HCl PtCly; and the base is consequently 
the methylamine of Wurtz, the formation of which by the action of a mixture of lime 
and potash on codeine had been determined in the paper already referred to, Me- 
thylamine however appears to be the sole product of the action of potash upon the 
yellow resin; but when potash-lime acts upon codeine, it is accompanied by propy- 
lamine, C,H, N, and ammonia. 
Nareotine gives With nittic acid a variety of products, depending upon the con- 
centration of the mixture. Ifthe acid is dilute and the temperature employed low, 
derivative bases are obtained, which have not yet been examined in detail; but with 
stronger acid a yellow resinous acid is obtained, which by treatment with potash 
yields a volatile base, the platinum salt of which also gives results corresponding to 
methylamine. 
. Morphia and strychnia, by similar treatment, both give volatile bases. 
Piperine, when treated with nitric acid, is rapidly acted on, with the evolution of 
nitrous fumes, accompanied by an odour resembling that of oil of bitter almonds. A 
brown resin is obtained as the result of the action, which dissolves in potash with a 
magnificent blood-red colour, and on ebullition evolves a volatile base with a peculiar 
and somewhat aromatic odour, This base gives with hydrochloric acid a beautiful salt, 
crystallizing readily from alcohol in needles nearly an inch long ; and with bichloride 
of platinum, a salt in beautiful orange prisms, which on analysis yielded results cor- 
responding to the formula ©) Hi N HCl PtCP’, that is, to a base differing from vale- 
ramine by Hg. 
Nicotine undergoes very violent decomposition with moderately strong nitric acid, 
and red fumes are given off in large quantity, When dilute acid is employed, how- 
ever, and the temperature is kept just below the boiling-point, no nitrous acid is ob- 
