HEROIN 337 



morphine. The residue is added to water, precipitated by 

 potassium hydrate, and redissolved in ether, from which 

 codeine crystallizes out on evaporation. 



Properties. — White, or nearly transparent, orthorhom- 

 bic prisms, or octohedral crystals; odorless, and having 

 a faintly bitter taste; slightly efflorescent in warm air. 

 Soluble in 80 parts of water, and in 3 parts of alcohol; 

 also soluble in 30 parts of ether and in 2 parts of . 

 chloroform. 



Dose.—T>., gr.J-ii. (.015-.12). 



Heroin. 

 (Diacetylraorphine.) 



This remedy, derived from morphine, was first intro- 

 duced by Dreser, in 1898, and is now used extensively in 

 human medicine as a substitute for morphine and codeine. 

 Heroin occurs as a white, odorless, crystalline powder, 

 possessing a slightly bitter taste and alkaline reaction. 

 Practically insoluble in water, but readily soluble in weak 

 acidulous solutions. 



Heroin hydrochloride is a white, crystalline, odorless 

 powder, soluble in 2 parts of water. Heroin surpasses both 

 morphine and codeine therapeutically in many ways. It 

 increases markedly the inspiratory and expiratory force, 

 while lessening the number of the respiratory movements, 

 and exerts a special sedative influence on the respiratory 

 mucous membranes. The drug acts also as a general motor 

 depressant and analgesic, but is not comparable to morphine 

 in these respects. The fatal dose is ten times that of code- 

 ine, and the after-effects (nausea, constipation, etc.) are 

 slight. Heroin is particularly valuable in the treatment of 

 all varieties of cough affecting the human subject, and 

 should prove useful in canine practice. 



Heroin may be administered in powder, pill or tablei 

 the hydrochloride in solution, every few hours. 



The dose of either is, tor the dog, gr.gV i (•0025-.01). 



