﻿ITS 
  PRODUCTS 
  OF 
  DECOMPOSITION. 
  

  

  79 
  

  

  and 
  is 
  replaced 
  by 
  that 
  of 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid, 
  and 
  crystals 
  are 
  gradually 
  deposited. 
  

   In 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  new 
  compound 
  in 
  sufficient 
  quantity, 
  it 
  is 
  best 
  to 
  keep 
  up 
  

   a 
  continuous 
  slow 
  current 
  of 
  cyanogen, 
  by 
  which 
  means 
  crystals 
  are 
  deposited 
  

   during 
  the 
  action 
  in 
  considerable 
  abundance. 
  These 
  are 
  collected 
  on 
  a 
  filter, 
  and 
  

   Avashed 
  with 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  alcohol 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  filtrate, 
  on 
  being 
  again 
  exposed 
  

   to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  cyanogen, 
  yields 
  an 
  additional 
  quantity 
  of 
  crystals 
  inferior 
  in 
  

   purity 
  to 
  those 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  first 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  operation. 
  The 
  product 
  is 
  puri- 
  

   fied 
  by 
  solution 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  heat, 
  in 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  alcohol 
  and 
  ether, 
  from 
  

   which 
  it 
  is 
  deposited 
  in 
  crystals, 
  which 
  are 
  colourless, 
  or 
  slightly 
  yellow. 
  Ob- 
  

   tained 
  in 
  this 
  way, 
  however, 
  they 
  are 
  apt 
  to 
  retain 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  codeine 
  ; 
  

   and 
  it 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  advantageous 
  to 
  pass 
  cyanogen 
  into 
  the 
  mixture 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  

   for 
  their 
  solution, 
  by 
  which 
  means 
  the 
  last 
  traces 
  of 
  codeine 
  are 
  converted 
  into 
  

   the 
  new 
  compound. 
  

  

  The 
  substance 
  so 
  obtained 
  is 
  a 
  new 
  base, 
  to 
  which 
  I 
  give 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  

   Dicyanocodeine. 
  It 
  is 
  soluble 
  in 
  boiling 
  absolute 
  alcohol, 
  or 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  al- 
  

   cohol 
  and 
  ether, 
  and 
  is 
  deposited 
  on 
  cooling 
  in 
  thin 
  six-sided 
  plates, 
  with 
  a 
  bril- 
  

   liant 
  lustre. 
  It 
  is 
  difficultly 
  soluble 
  in 
  water, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  alcohol 
  it 
  is 
  

   dissolved 
  ; 
  nothing, 
  however, 
  is 
  deposited 
  from 
  the 
  solution 
  on 
  standing, 
  and 
  by 
  

   evaporation 
  it 
  is 
  decomposed, 
  and 
  crystals 
  of 
  codeine 
  are 
  left 
  behind. 
  With 
  hy- 
  

   drochloric 
  acid, 
  it 
  is 
  converted 
  into 
  a 
  crystalline 
  salt, 
  but 
  decomposition 
  takes 
  

   place 
  immediately 
  ; 
  for 
  on 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  potash 
  to 
  the 
  fluid, 
  ammonia 
  escapes, 
  

   and 
  if 
  it 
  be 
  left 
  for 
  four-and-twenty 
  hours, 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid 
  is 
  evolved. 
  With 
  

   sulphuric 
  and 
  oxalic 
  acid, 
  it 
  likewise 
  gives 
  somewhat 
  sparingly 
  soluble 
  compounds, 
  

   which 
  decompose 
  rapidly 
  with 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  ammonia 
  and 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid. 
  

   The 
  crystals 
  deposited 
  from 
  alcohol 
  and 
  ether 
  are 
  anhydrous. 
  Their 
  analysis 
  

   gave 
  the 
  following 
  results 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  {4*552 
  grains, 
  dried 
  in 
  vacuo, 
  gave 
  

   11-388 
  ... 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-431 
  ... 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  {4*325 
  grains, 
  dried 
  in 
  vacuo, 
  gave 
  

   10-790 
  ••• 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-405 
  ••• 
  of 
  water. 
  

  

  4-954 
  grains 
  gave 
  by 
  Warrentrap 
  and 
  Will's 
  method 
  9320 
  grains 
  of 
  pla- 
  

   tinochloride 
  of 
  ammonium. 
  

  

  5-310 
  grains 
  gave 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  method 
  9*890 
  grains 
  of 
  platinochloride. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  

   Hydrogen, 
  

   Nitrogen, 
  

   Oxygen, 
  

  

  Experj 
  

  

  ment. 
  

  

  68-04 
  

  

  Calculation. 
  

  

  

  68-22 
  

  

  68-37 
  

  

  C 
  10 
  

  

  240 
  

  

  5-93 
  

  

  6-17 
  

  

  5-97 
  

  

  H 
  21 
  

  

  21 
  

  

  11-81 
  

  

  11-50 
  

  

  11-68 
  

  

  N 
  3 
  

  

  42 
  

  

  14-04 
  

  

  14-27 
  

  

  13-97 
  

  

  o 
  6 
  

  

  48 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  100-00 
  351 
  

  

  