TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 87 



The yield is, as stated by Stenhouse, large in comparison with the yield from 

 tea or coft'ee ; but the author haa not yet ascertained the actual percentage yielded 

 by this process. 



This process has been tried with tea, and it appears to work well ; but the author 

 has not had time to finish his experiments, and cannot speak with certaint}'. 



lie has not yet tried the process upon cotiee, and thinks it possible it may not 

 succeed well upon that as upon substances containing more tannin (or astringent 

 matter) and less oil iu their constitution. 



On Teaching Elementary Chemistry to Boys under 14 years of Age. 

 %Dr. T.Wood, i''.C'./S. 



This paper showed the necessity of having a compulsory elementary examination 

 in chemistry for all pupils under fourteen years of age, before they be allowed to 

 enter for the higher examinations requiring practical chemistry. 



It suggested the advisability of building iu all large towns a public laboratory open 

 to any pupils for practical instruction iu chemistry, because many of the present so- 

 called teachers in chemistry, having never had practical experience iu a laboratory, 

 do not tvavh well from want of such practice. 



On a Modification of Hof mannas Apparatus for Electrolysis of Water, 



By C. J. WOODWAED. 



The extremely convenient arrangement of Dr. Ilofniaun for showing the compo- 

 sition of water by electrolysis is a very expensive one ; so the author has devised a 

 much cheaper apparatus, made thus. A shallow glass has a stoneware stopper 

 ground iuto it, the stopper being perforated with three holes. Into two of these 

 holes fit the tubes intended to receive the gases ; these tubes are furnished with 

 electrodes made from ordinary platinum foil. Into the third hole fits a tube 

 enlarged at the top into a fimnel, to :receive the acid displaced as the water is de- 

 composed. 



New Derivatives from MorpMne and Codeine. By C. E. A.Wright, D.Sc. Lond., 

 Lecturer on Chemistry iiv St. Mary's Hospital Medical School. 



Dui-ing the pastyear further experiments have been made on the derivatives of these 

 two alkaloids, in continuation of the researches described at the last Meeting of the 

 Association. The principal results are as follows : — 



It was shown previously that compounds are obtainable from codeine by the 

 action of hydrobromic acid, which may be regarded as formed by a polymerizing 

 action, the resulting products containing as their formulas fom- times as much 

 carbon as the original base — and that analogous substances are formed by the action 

 of hydriodic acid in presence of phosphorus, hydrogen being also added on in 

 this case. Further examination has confirmed these results in the main, -nath this 

 diflerence, however, that the action of hydrochloric acid on codeine and morphine 

 appears to indicate that the formidce of these bases are double of those usually 

 ascribed to them, while polymerides exist containing respectively twice, three times, 

 and four times as many symbols in their formulae as the original bases ; so that the 

 following series may be ^vl•itten : — 



Codeine . . . .=G=G,, B.^^ N,0„ 

 Dicodeine . . =0^= C-^ H^^ N^ O;, 

 Tricodeine . . =p3 = Ci(|jjHj2oN„Oijj 

 Tetracodeine = C^=Ci„ Hj^g N^ Ojj 



Morphine =M=03i Hjg N^ Og 



Dimorphine .,=M, = C|,j H.g N^ Oj^ 

 Trimorphine . . =M3 = Cic2 11^^^ Nj. 0,^ 

 Tetramorphine =M^ = Cj3(, IIj^^ N^ O^j. 



Each of these bases is apparently capable of giving- rise to a large number of de- 

 rivatives, the substances described last year being mainly derivatives of tetracodeine 

 and tetramoiiihiue ; it has been found that the formulre there attributed are only 

 one half the true ones. In the codeine series all these polymerides and several 

 derivatives from each have been obtained. In the morphine series the polymerides 



