58 PAPAVERACEJE. 



vegetable colours. If we examine opium by the microscope we\;aunot 

 at once detect the presence of narcotine, but if first moistened with 

 gl3''cerin, numerous large crystals may generally be found after the 

 ■ lapse of some days. If the opium has been previously exhausted with 

 benzol or ether, in order to remove the narcotine, no such crystals will 

 be formed. Hence it follows that narcotine pre-exists in an amorphous 

 state. 



By decomposition with sulphuric acid, narcotine yields Cotarnine, 

 an undoubted base, together with Opianic Acid, and certain derivatives 

 of the latter. 



The discovery of another base, Codeine, was made in 1832 by 

 Robiquet. It dissolves in 17 parts of boiling water, forming a highly 

 alkaline solution which perfectly saturates acids, and exhibits in 

 polarized light a levogyre power. Codeine is also readily soluble at 

 ordinary temperatures in 7 parts amy lie alcohol, and in 11 of benzol. 



The codeine of commerce is in very large crystals containing 2 

 atoms = 5'66 per cent, of water. By crystallization from ether the 

 alkaloid may be obtained in small anhydrous crystals. 



Since 1832 other alkaloids have been found in opium, as may be 

 seen in the following table, which includes all the 17 now known. ^ 



A very large number of derivatives of several among them have been 

 prepared, of which we point out a few in smaller type. The molecular 

 constitution of these opium alkaloids being not yet thoroughly settled, 

 we add only their empirical formulae, which however exhibit unmistake- 

 able connections. 



Papaverosine discovered by Deschamps in poppy-heads (p. 42) can 

 hardly be absent from opium. In some points it appears to resemble 

 cryptopine. 



Among the peculiar non-basic constituents of opium, the first to call 

 for notice is Meconic Acid, CH^O", discovered, as already observed, by 

 Sertlirner in 1805. It is distinguished by the red colour which it 

 produces with ferric salts, the same as that of ferric sulphocyanate; 

 but the latter only dissolves in ether. Meconic acid is soluble in 4 

 parts of boiling water, but immediately gives off CO', and the remain- 

 ing solution instead of depositing micaceous crystalline scales of meconic 

 acid, yields on cooling (but best after boiling with hydrochloric acid) 

 hard granular crystals of Comenic Acid, C®H■'0^ 



Lactic Acid was discovered by T. and H. Smith in the opium-liquors 

 produced in the manufacture of morphine. These chemists regarded it 

 as a peculiar body, and under the name of Thebolactic Acid, exhibited 

 it together with its copper and morphine salts at the London Inter- 

 national Exhibition of 1862. Its identity with ordinary lactic acid 

 was ascertained by Stenhouse (whose experiments have not been pub- 

 lished) and also by J. Y. Buchanan.^ T. and H. Smith consider it to be a 

 regular constituent of Turkey opium; they obtained it as a calcium- 

 salt to the amount of about 2 per cent., and have prepared it in this form 

 and iu a pure state to the extent of over 100 lb. In our opinion it is 

 not an original constituent of popp}" -juice. 



^In 1851 Hinterberger described as a body, and found (1875) it to consist of 

 peculiar alkaloid, Opianine; Dr. Hesse has impure narcotine. 



examined Hinterberger's specimen of this * Berichte d. Deutsch. Chem. Oesellsch. 



zu Berlin, iii. (1870) 182. 



