MORPHINE. *>77 



aqueous solution be greatly concentrated by evaporation, and 

 mixed with a strictly neutral solution of chloride of calcium, 

 a brown impure precipitate of meconate of lime is thrown down, 

 while the bases are converted into hydrochlorates. The liquid 

 being filtered may be made distinctly acid with hydrochloric 

 acid, then digested, in order to discolour it, with pure animal 

 charcoal previously deprived of all phosphate of lime by an 

 acid, filtered again and evaporated for crystallization. A radiated 

 crystalline mass is deposited which consists of hydrochlorate of 

 morphine in combination with hydrochlorate of codeine. This 

 mass may be drained and expressed, then dissolved in hot 

 water, and precipitated by ammonia, which throws down the 

 morphine, while the codeine remains in solution. By farther 

 concentration of the liquid an additional quantity of morphine 

 is deposited ; when afterwards an excess of caustic potash is 

 added to the liquid, what remains of the morphine is retained 

 in solution, and the codeine precipitated. Thebaine, narcotine, 

 &c. 5 remain in the former brown mother-liquor, which afforded 

 the crystallized double salt of hydrochlorate of morphine and 

 codeine. 



Morphine may be prepared, without reference to the other 

 bases in opium, by various processes, of which the following 

 appears to be the best. The opium is macerated thrice in succes- 

 sion, each time with three parts of cold water, and the mass after 

 each digestion strongly expressed. The liquids are united, raised 

 to the boiling point, and mixed with an equal bulk of milk of 

 lime, the latter containing a quantity of hydrate of lime equal to 

 about one fourth of the weight of the dry opium employed. 

 After boiling for a few minutes the mixture is strained through 

 linen ; all the narcotine, meconic acid, &c., remain in the lime 

 precipitate, while all the morphine is contained in the solution 

 in combination with lime. This solution is greatly concentrated 

 by evaporation, then filtered, heated to the boiling point and 

 pounded sal ammoniac is thrown into it, in about the proportion 

 of 1 ounce of sal ammoniac to 1 pound of opium. The caustic 

 lime is thus converted into chloride of calcium, the morphine 

 loses its solvent, and is precipitated in small crystalline needles. 

 Opium yields upon an average a sixteenth of its weight of 

 morphine. (Mohr.) 



Morphine as precipitated by ammonia forms a white pulve- 



2 ss 



