60 



cess of acetate ; with nitrate of silver it gives a precipitate which is 

 very slightly soluble in hot water. The silver-salt, crystallized 

 from water, was found to contain C 11 H 10 Ag a O 3 : on analysis it gave 

 the following results : 



C n H 10 Ag 2 5 438 100-00 100-00 



The formation of cotarnic acid is therefore represented by the 

 equation 



C 12 H 13 NO 3 + 2H 2 + NH0 3 =C n H 12 5 + N(NCH 6 )O 3 



Cotarnine. Cotarnic acid. Nitrate of 



methylamine. 



It is possible that the substance obtained by Anderson by the 

 action of nitric acid on narcotine (Chem. Soc. Quart. Journ. vol. v. 

 p. 265 ; Gerhardt, ' Traite,' vol. iv. p. 80), and supposed by him 

 to be hydrate of meconin (Opianyl, Anderson), may have been 

 cotarnic acid, with the composition of which Anderson's analyses 

 closely agree, as shown by the following comparison : 



Calculated. Anderson. 



224 100-00 100-00 100-00 



If cotarnic acid be represented by the formula 

 (C"H"0 3 )" 



H 2 



cotarnine becomes methyl-cotarnimide 



(C n H 10 O 3 )" 

 C H 3 



if, however, we retain the formula C 12 H 13 NO 3 for cotarnine, no 

 simple relation is apparent between it and cotarnic acid. 



