61 



V. Conclusion. 



In the absence of more definite knowledge of the constitution of me- 

 conin and opianic and hemipinic acids, it is obviously useless to 

 try to assign a rational formula to narcotine. According to the 

 formulae which we have adopted for narcotine and cotarnine, nar- 

 cotine contains the elements of cotarnine and meconin : 



C 22 H 23 NO 7 = C 12 H 13 NO 3 + C 10 H 10 O 4 . 



Narcotine. Cotarnine. Meconin. 



It will be seen that these formulae are the same as those of the 

 methyl-narcotine and methyl-cotarnine of Hinterberger and Wer- 

 theim. The ground upon which Wertheim admitted the existence of 

 ethyl- and propyl-narcotine was the formation of volatile bases con- 

 taining C 2 H 7 N and C 3 H 9 N by the distillation of narcotine with 

 potash. An experiment which we have made goes some way 

 towards explaining the formation of these bases without assuming the 

 existence of more than one variety of narcotine. Having so frequently 

 observed the formation of methyl-compounds from the derivatives 

 of narcotine, we tried the direct action of hydriodic acid on this 

 base, expecting to obtain iodide of methyl. By distilling 20 grms. 

 of narcotine with concentrated hydriodic acid, 19 grms. of pure 

 iodide of methyl were obtained, a quantity which corresponds, as 

 nearly as could be expected, with three atoms of iodide of methyl 

 for one atom of narcotiue*, 



(C 22 H 23 N0 7 : 3CH 3 I : : 413 : 436 or 20 : 21-1). 



Narcotine therefore contains three atoms of methyl so combined as 

 to be easily separable j*; and it is very probable that when it is di- 

 stilled with potash, according to the conditions of the experiment, 

 sometimes nearly pure ammonia is evolved, while ? at other times, 

 methylamine, CH 5 N, dimethylamine, C 2 H 7 N, or trimethylamine, 

 C 3 H 9 N, predominates. 



We wish not to close without acknowledging our obligation to 

 Dr. M. Holzmann for very valuable assistance rendered to us at the 

 commencement of our investigation. 



* It is possible that narcotine will prove to be an economical, as it is certainly 

 the most convenient, source of iodide of methyl. 



f Gerhardt (Traite, iv. 64) had previously observed the production of a volatile 

 substance, which he supposed to be nitrate of ethyl or of methyl, by the action of 

 nitric acid on narcotine. 



