﻿80 
  DR 
  ANDERSON 
  ON 
  CODEINE, 
  AND 
  

  

  These 
  results 
  correspond 
  exactly 
  with 
  the 
  formula 
  C 
  40 
  H 
  21 
  N 
  3 
  6 
  . 
  The 
  method 
  

   of 
  its 
  formation, 
  however, 
  indicates 
  unequivocally, 
  that 
  its 
  rational 
  formula 
  must 
  

   be 
  C 
  36 
  H 
  21 
  N0 
  6 
  2C, 
  N, 
  representing 
  it 
  as 
  formed 
  by 
  two 
  equivalents 
  of 
  cyanogen 
  

   coupled 
  with 
  one 
  of 
  codeine, 
  and 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  same 
  class 
  of 
  compounds 
  as 
  

   cyaniline. 
  It 
  differs, 
  however, 
  from 
  that 
  substance, 
  in 
  containing 
  two 
  equi- 
  

   valents 
  of 
  cyanogen 
  ; 
  and 
  owing 
  to 
  this 
  circumstance, 
  I 
  was 
  at 
  first 
  inclined 
  

   to 
  take 
  a 
  different 
  view 
  of 
  its 
  constitution, 
  and 
  to 
  consider 
  it 
  as 
  the 
  hydro- 
  

   cyanate 
  of 
  a 
  cyanocodeine 
  formed 
  by 
  substitution, 
  and 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  for- 
  

   mula 
  C 
  36 
  H 
  20 
  Cy 
  N0 
  6 
  + 
  H 
  Cy, 
  according 
  to 
  which 
  its 
  formation 
  could 
  obviously 
  

   be 
  equally 
  well 
  explained, 
  and 
  I 
  considered 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid, 
  by 
  

   treating 
  it 
  with 
  acids, 
  as 
  favourable 
  to 
  this 
  view. 
  Attentive 
  observation, 
  however, 
  

   convinced 
  me, 
  that 
  though 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid 
  always 
  is 
  produced 
  by 
  heating 
  it 
  

   with 
  strong 
  acids, 
  it 
  is 
  never 
  evolved 
  immediately, 
  as 
  it 
  necessarily 
  must 
  be, 
  if 
  it 
  

   existed 
  as 
  such 
  ; 
  but 
  that 
  it 
  only 
  makes 
  its 
  appearance 
  after 
  the 
  lapse 
  of 
  some 
  

   time, 
  and 
  that 
  only 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  an 
  advanced 
  decomposition 
  ; 
  for 
  long 
  before 
  it 
  

   is 
  observed, 
  the 
  addition 
  of 
  potash 
  to 
  the 
  acid 
  solution 
  causes 
  an 
  abundant 
  evolu- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  ammonia. 
  

  

  The 
  ease 
  with 
  which 
  dicyanocodeine 
  is 
  decomposed 
  has 
  prevented 
  my 
  ex- 
  

   amining 
  any 
  of 
  its 
  compounds. 
  I 
  attempted 
  to 
  prepare 
  a 
  platinum 
  salt 
  by 
  rapid 
  

   solution 
  in 
  hydrochloric 
  acid, 
  and 
  precipitation 
  by 
  bichloride 
  of 
  platinum 
  ; 
  but 
  

   the 
  instant 
  the 
  latter 
  substance 
  was 
  added, 
  evolution 
  of 
  hydrocyanic 
  acid 
  was 
  

   observed, 
  and 
  the 
  results 
  obtained 
  were, 
  as 
  might 
  be 
  expected, 
  wholly 
  incon- 
  

   gruous 
  and 
  unsatisfactory. 
  The 
  decompositions 
  of 
  dicyanocodeine 
  evidently 
  

   afford 
  several 
  different 
  substances 
  ; 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  not 
  attempted 
  to 
  follow 
  them 
  out, 
  

   as 
  their 
  investigation 
  seemed 
  to 
  present 
  some 
  difficulties, 
  among 
  which, 
  not 
  the 
  

   least 
  was 
  that 
  of 
  obtaining 
  the 
  base 
  itself 
  in 
  sufficient 
  quantity. 
  

  

  VIII. 
  Action 
  of 
  Alkalies 
  on 
  Codeine. 
  

  

  Codeine, 
  when 
  treated 
  at 
  moderate 
  temperatures 
  with 
  potash, 
  yields 
  more 
  

   than 
  one 
  volatile 
  base, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  circumstances 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  experiment 
  is 
  

   made. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  that 
  similar 
  results 
  are 
  obtained 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  hydrate 
  of 
  

   potash, 
  or 
  of 
  potash-lime, 
  or 
  soda-lime 
  prepared 
  in 
  the 
  usual 
  way. 
  The 
  method 
  

   employed 
  in 
  the 
  experiment 
  was 
  to 
  mix 
  codeine 
  with 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  times 
  its 
  

   weight 
  of 
  potash-lime 
  or 
  soda-lime, 
  and 
  introduce 
  the 
  mixture 
  into 
  a 
  retort 
  with 
  

   a 
  tubulated 
  receiver, 
  having 
  a 
  doubly-bent 
  tube 
  attached 
  to 
  its 
  tubulature, 
  the 
  end 
  

   of 
  which 
  passed 
  into 
  a 
  small 
  flask 
  containing 
  hydrochloric 
  acid, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  retain 
  

   any 
  of 
  the 
  very 
  volatile 
  base 
  which 
  might 
  not 
  be 
  condensed 
  in 
  the 
  receiver. 
  The 
  

   retort 
  was 
  introduced 
  into 
  an 
  oil-bath, 
  and 
  kept 
  at 
  a 
  uniform 
  temperature 
  of 
  

   250° 
  Fahr. 
  As 
  soon 
  as 
  this 
  temperature 
  is 
  reached, 
  a 
  slight 
  peculiar 
  odour 
  is 
  ob- 
  

   served, 
  which 
  soon 
  becomes 
  more 
  powerful, 
  and 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  water, 
  retain- 
  

  

  