66o BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Some opium obtained from plants cultivated in France yielded 

 2.81 per cent, of codeine, while the morphine was but 2.41 per 

 ■cent, and the narcotine o.io per cent. 



Narcotine (opianine) occurs to the extent of 0.75 to 9 per 

 cent, in opium, chiefly as a free base. It is found in greater 

 amount in Persian and Indian opium than in Turkey opium. It 

 forms colorless, shining, rhombic prisms or needles, that are taste- 

 less, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol. With concentrated 

 sulphuric acid narcotine is colored greenish-yellow, the solution on 

 heating changing to red and finally violet. It may be converted 

 into a number of compounds, of which hydrocotarnine and vanil- 

 lin are probably the most interesting. 



Papaverine occurs to the extent of about i per cent, and 

 forms colorless needles or prisms, which are partly soluble in 

 water and alcohol, and colored deep purple or violet-blue on 

 warming with sulphuric acid. 



Thebaine (paramorphine) occurs to the extent of 0.15 per 

 cent, in opium. It crystallizes in prisms which are insoluble in 

 water or alkaline solutions, soluble in alcohol, and gives with 

 sulphuric acid a deep red color. 



Narceine (o.i to 0.2 per cent.) occurs m silky needles or 

 quadrangular prisms, which are nearly insoluble in cold water 

 and alcohol, and are colored blue with- iodine solutions and blood- 

 red with chlorine water and ammonia. 



PROToriNE occurs in monoclinic prisms, which are insoluble 

 in water and sparingly soluble in alcohol, the solution having a 

 bitter taste. Sulphuric acid dissolves protopine with a beautiful 

 blue-violet color, which later becomes dull violet and finally green- 

 ish. Protopine is also found in a number of other plants of the 

 Papaveraceae, as the roots of Macleya cordata and Chelidonium 

 niajus; the rhizome of Sanguinaria, and other plants as well 

 (p. 282). 



Of the other alkaloids in opium the following may be men- 

 tioned : Codamine, cryptopine, gnoscopine, lanthopine, laudanine, 

 laudanosine, meconine, meconidine and xanthaline. 



Opium also contains from 3 to 5 per cent, of meconic acid, 

 which exists in combination with morphine, codeine and other 

 alkaloids. It forms rhombic prisms that are soluble in water and 



