MORTAR 365 



a few drops of ammonia added to perchloride of iron, causes a brown precipitate in 

 the aqueous solution ; while ammoniated alum yields a reddish-yellow precipitate. 

 Morindin dissolves in concentrated sulphuric acid with a deep purple-red colour; 

 the solution, after having been kept for 24 hours, yields, on addition of water, a 

 yellow precipitate, insoluWe in water, which re-dissolves in ammonia with a violet 

 colouration. 



If submitted to the action of heat, morindin first fuses, and then enters into ebulli- 

 tion, emitting beautiful orange-vapours, which condense to beautiful red needle-shaped 

 crystals, inscftuble in water, Put soluble in alkaline liquids, with a violet colour. This 

 substance, which Dr. Anderson calls morindin, seems to be the same as that formed 

 under the influence of sulphuric acid. The ammoniacal solution of morindin yields, 

 with alum, a red lake, and gives, upon the addition of baryta-water, a blue precipi- 

 tate. Morindin is dissolved by cold nitric acid, and decomposed by that liquid at 

 boiling temperature. See AAL. 



1VKORXXVX:. This is the name given by Gerhardt to the principal colouring-matter 

 of the Morus tinctoria or old fustic, a largo tree which grows in many parts of the 

 West Indies, and on the American Continent. It is used principally for dyeing 

 woollens or silks, seldom or ever as a solitary colour, but as a ground-work for other 

 colours, as in the dyeing of wools and silks black, in which process it greatly improves 

 the black. It is used with indigo to form a green, and with salts of iron to yield an 

 olive hue. The colouring-matter was first separated by Chevreul. It is extracted 

 from the wood by boiling water, which, on cooling, when concentrated, deposits it as 

 yellow crystalline powder, which must be purified by several crystallisations. It has 

 the composition C 3G H 16 20 (C 18 H ie O 10 ). It possesses a sweetish and astringent taste ; 

 one part dissolves in 6'4 parts of cold water, and in 2*14 parts of boiling water. The 

 solution is slightly acid, and precipitates salts of iron of a dark green colour ; with 

 salts of lead and protochloride of tin, it forms deep yellow precipitates. It is not 

 precipitated by alum until after the addition of carbonate of potash, when a yellow 

 lake is formed. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves it in the cold, forming a yellow solution, from 

 which it is again precipitated by diluting with water. It is readily soluble in alcohol 

 and ether ; insoluble in spirits of turpentine and the fatty oils. Alkalis deepen the 

 colour of its solutions. See FUSTIC. 



1YTORIWGA. The seeds of the Moringa pterygosperma have been used for the 

 oil they contain. These have been examined and reported on by Mr. Dugald 

 Campbell, who says of the oil they yield : ' This oil is the very opposite to a dry 

 oil, being extremely rich in fatty substances, and is of specific gravity 915'60 at 

 60 Fahr., water taken as TOOO. When it is kept cooled for a short time to 44 

 it becomes opaque, from crystals of the fatty substances forming throughout it, 

 and it is now very viscid and thick. In this state it may be heated up to 60 

 before it assumes its original brightness. It is nearly tasteless, and almost with- 

 out odour.' This oil is called Oil of Ben, and is much used by watchmakers. See 

 BEN OIL. 



MOROCCO. See LEATHER. 



MORPHINE. Syn. Morphia. (Morphine, Fr. ; Morphin, Ger.) C 34 H 19 N0 6 + 2 aq. 

 (C 17 H 19 NO S . H'-'O). An organic base, contained (amongst others) in opium. As it 

 is the substance upon which the sedative properties of opium depend, great atten- 

 tion has been paid to its extraction. Numerous processes have been devised for the 

 purpose ; but perhaps that of Gregory is, in facility and economy, as good as any. 

 The aqueous infusion is precipitated by chloride of calcium to remove the meconic 

 and sulphuric acids present. The filtered fluid is evaporated until the hydrochlo- 

 rate of morphine crystallises out, so as to form a nearly solid mass, which is then 

 strongly pressed : the liquid exuding contains the colouring-matters and several 

 alkaloids. The pressed mass is crystallised and squeezed repeatedly, and, if neces- 

 sary, bleached with animal charcoal. The hydrochlorate, which contains a little 

 codeine, is to be dissolved in water, and precipitated by ammonia ; pure morphia 

 precipitates, and the codeine remains in solution. The salts of morphia most em- 

 ployed in medicine are the hydrochlorate, the acetate, and the sulphate. A solu- 

 tion of five grains of morphia in one ounce of water is about the same strength as 

 laudanum. ApomorpJda is a remarkable base, obtained by Matthiessen and Wright 

 by beating morphia for several hours in a closed tube with excess of hydrochloric 

 acid. It may also be prepared, by a similar method, from codeine. Apomorphia 

 differs from morphia in containing H'-'O 2 (H 2 O) less ; its formula is therefore 

 C S4 H"KO 4 (C''H"N0 2 ). 



MORTAR. A mixture of lime with water and sand. The sand used in 

 making mortar should be sharp that is angular, not round and dean that is, 

 free from all earthy matter, or other than siliceous particles. Hence road-scrap- 



