189. RARER ALKALOIDS. 201 



in the place of water for exhausting the opium, and Proctor 1 has 

 recently proposed triturating the opium (13 grams) with water 

 (15-5 gram) to a paste in a warm mortar, adding methylated 

 spirit (46 grams) by degrees, and exhausting by percolation with 

 the latter menstruum. The solution is evaporated to a syrup, 

 mixed with water (63 grams), and filtered. The filtrate is again 

 evaporated (to 6 cc.), mixed with an equal volume of methylated 

 spirit and slight excess of ammonia, allowed to stand twelve to 

 eighteen hours, filtered and the precipitate washed, first with a 

 mixture of equal quantities of methylated spirit and water, and 

 finally with the latter alone (about 31 grams). Proctor removes 

 narcotine with benzene. 



For the approximate estimation of the morphine Prollius 

 recommends extracting the opium with 10 parts of 34 per cent, 

 spirit, mixing the solution with 5 parts of ether and 0'2 of 

 ammonia, allowing to stand twelve to twenty-four hours, filtering 

 off, drying and weighing the morphine, which separates at the 

 line of demarcation; narcotine is said to be dissolved by the 

 ether. 



Fliickiger 2 exhausts 8 grams of powdered opium by agitation 

 for twelve hours with 80 grams of water, and filters the infusion 

 through a filter 125 mm. in diameter. 42 -5 grams of the filtrate 

 are mixed with 12 grams of alcohol of sp. gr. 0*812, 10 grams of 

 ether, and 1 *5 caustic ammonia in a tared flask, and set aside for 

 a day or two. The crystals of morphine that have separated are 

 then collected on a double filter 4 inches in diameter; both flask and 

 residue on the filter are washed, first with a mixture of 6 grams 

 of spirit with 5 of ether, and afterwards with 10 grams of ether. 

 The crystals are finally gently pressed, returned to the flask, dried, 

 and weighed. To the amount thus obtained Fliickiger adds 01 

 gram (Mylius 0'088) for loss in precipitating and washing. 



For the rotatory power of opium alkaloids, see Hesse. 3 



189. Other Alkaloids. In treating of the more important 



1 Pharm. Journ. and Trans. [3], vii. 244, 1876 ; viii. 211, 1877. 



2 Pharm. Zeitung, Nos. 57, 59, 1879 (Pharm. Journ. and Trans. [3], x. 254, 

 1879). See also Van der Burg, Pharm. Weekbl. No. 26, 1879 ; Mylius, 

 Archiv d. Pharm. [3], xv. 310, 1879 (Year-book Pharm. 22, 23, 1880). 



3 Annal. d. Chem. und Pharm. clxxvi. 189, 1875. See also Yvon, Journ. 

 de Pharm. et de Chim. xxix. 372, 445, 1879. A paper on the rarer opium 

 alkaloids was published by Hesse in the Annal. d. Chem. und Pharm. cliii. 

 47, 1870 (Pharm. Journ. and Trans. [3], i. 205, 1870). 



