﻿Experiment. 
  

  

  Calculation 
  

  

  T~ 
  ~~n. 
  

  

  

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  ITS 
  PRODUCTS 
  OF 
  DECOMPOSITION. 
  69 
  

  

  alcohol, 
  and 
  precipitated 
  by 
  ether 
  from 
  the 
  solution. 
  It 
  fuses 
  at 
  212° 
  into 
  a 
  black 
  

   resinous 
  mass. 
  In 
  acids 
  it 
  is 
  readily 
  soluble, 
  with 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  salts 
  which 
  

   are 
  amorphous, 
  and 
  dry 
  up 
  by 
  evaporation 
  into 
  brown 
  resins. 
  

   Analysis 
  gave 
  the 
  following 
  results 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  {5-400 
  grains 
  amorphous 
  codeine 
  gave 
  

   14-240 
  ••• 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   3-663 
  — 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  {4'532 
  grains 
  amorphous 
  codeine 
  gave 
  

   12-054 
  ••• 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-781 
  — 
  of 
  water 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  ..... 
  

   Hydrogen, 
  .... 
  

   Nitrogen, 
  .... 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  .... 
  

  

  100-00 
  

  

  These 
  results 
  correspond 
  sufficiently 
  closely 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  codeine 
  to 
  shew 
  

   that 
  this 
  substance 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  formula. 
  At 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  it 
  is 
  

   to 
  be 
  observed, 
  that 
  the 
  action 
  does 
  not 
  stop 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  at 
  which 
  amorphous 
  

   codeine 
  is 
  formed 
  ; 
  for 
  the 
  excess 
  of 
  carbon 
  and 
  deficiency 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  in 
  the 
  

   second 
  analysis 
  (which 
  occurred 
  also 
  in 
  another 
  analysis 
  from 
  a 
  different 
  prepa- 
  

   ration), 
  appear 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  shew 
  that 
  some 
  farther 
  change 
  had 
  taken 
  place. 
  Indeed, 
  

   by 
  continuing 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid, 
  a 
  deep-green 
  powder 
  was 
  obtained, 
  

   which 
  contained 
  sulphur, 
  and 
  agreed 
  in 
  its 
  general 
  properties 
  with 
  the 
  sulpho- 
  

   morphide 
  described 
  by 
  Arppe, 
  and 
  the 
  corresponding 
  sulphonarcotide 
  of 
  Laurent 
  

   and 
  Gerhardt. 
  

  

  IV. 
  Action 
  of 
  Nitric 
  Acid. 
  

  

  Nitrocodeine. 
  — 
  When 
  strong 
  nitric 
  acid 
  is 
  poured 
  upon 
  codeine, 
  and 
  heat 
  ap- 
  

   plied, 
  violent 
  action 
  takes 
  place, 
  nitrous 
  fumes 
  are 
  abundantly 
  evolved, 
  and 
  the 
  

   solution 
  acquires 
  a 
  red 
  colour. 
  If 
  the 
  fluid 
  be 
  evaporated 
  on 
  the 
  water-bath, 
  a 
  

   yellow 
  resinous 
  acid 
  is 
  left, 
  which 
  dissolves 
  in 
  ammonia 
  and 
  potash 
  solutions, 
  

   with 
  a 
  red 
  colour.* 
  If 
  the 
  nitric 
  acid 
  be 
  employed 
  in 
  a 
  sufficiently 
  dilute 
  state, 
  a 
  

   different 
  result 
  is 
  obtained, 
  and 
  a 
  nitrobase 
  is 
  formed, 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  give 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   nitrocodeine. 
  

  

  The 
  preparation 
  of 
  this 
  substance 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  some 
  nicety, 
  as 
  by 
  the 
  con- 
  

   tinued 
  action 
  even 
  of 
  very 
  dilute 
  nitric 
  acid 
  it 
  is 
  rapidly 
  destroyed. 
  The 
  opera- 
  

   tion 
  succeeds 
  best 
  when 
  the 
  acid 
  employed 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  1*060. 
  Acid 
  

   of 
  this 
  density 
  is 
  heated 
  in 
  a 
  flask, 
  but 
  not 
  to 
  ebullition, 
  and 
  finely-powdered 
  co- 
  

   deine 
  is 
  added, 
  and 
  a 
  moderate 
  heat 
  is 
  sustained. 
  In 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  minutes 
  

   a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  the 
  fluid 
  is 
  poured 
  out 
  into 
  a 
  glass, 
  and 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  ammonia 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  constitution 
  and 
  properties 
  of 
  this 
  substance 
  will 
  be 
  detailed 
  in 
  a 
  future 
  communication. 
  

   VOL. 
  XX. 
  PART 
  I. 
  T 
  

  

  