﻿352 
  dr 
  Anderson's 
  researches 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  These 
  results 
  correspond 
  exactly 
  with 
  the 
  formula 
  C 
  ia 
  H 
  0!) 
  N0 
  1S 
  , 
  as 
  is 
  obvious 
  

   from 
  their 
  comparison 
  with 
  the 
  calculated 
  numbers 
  given 
  above. 
  The 
  atomic 
  

   weight 
  was 
  determined 
  by 
  the 
  analysis 
  of 
  its 
  platinum 
  salt, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  cha- 
  

   racteristic 
  compound, 
  and 
  which 
  gave, 
  as 
  the 
  mean 
  of 
  three 
  experiments, 
  14*56 
  

   per 
  cent, 
  of 
  platinum, 
  giving, 
  for 
  the 
  atomic 
  weight 
  of 
  the 
  base, 
  464-8, 
  and 
  cor- 
  

   responding 
  perfectly 
  with 
  463, 
  the 
  calculated 
  number. 
  

  

  IV. 
  Properties 
  of 
  Narceine. 
  

  

  Narceine 
  crystallises 
  in 
  delicate 
  needles 
  which 
  mat 
  together 
  into 
  avery 
  light 
  

   and 
  bulky 
  mass, 
  with 
  a 
  brilliant 
  silky 
  lustre. 
  These 
  crystals 
  are 
  always 
  extremely 
  

   white 
  ; 
  indeed, 
  narceine 
  is 
  remarkable 
  for 
  the 
  facility 
  with 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  obtained 
  

   colourless, 
  and 
  while 
  all 
  the 
  other 
  crystalline 
  principles 
  of 
  opium 
  retain 
  colour 
  

   with 
  considerable 
  obstinacy, 
  it 
  may, 
  with 
  ordinary 
  care, 
  be 
  obtained 
  colourless 
  \>y 
  

   a 
  few 
  crystallisations, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  is 
  deposited 
  in 
  that 
  state 
  even 
  from 
  the 
  

   highly-coloured 
  mother 
  liquor 
  of 
  the 
  ammoniacal 
  precipitate. 
  In 
  cold 
  water 
  it 
  is 
  

   sparingly, 
  but 
  in 
  hot 
  readily, 
  soluble, 
  and 
  the 
  solution 
  on 
  cooling 
  becomes 
  filled 
  

   with 
  a 
  network 
  of 
  bulky 
  crystals. 
  In 
  alcohol 
  it 
  is 
  still 
  more 
  soluble, 
  and 
  is 
  depo- 
  

   sited 
  from 
  the 
  hot 
  fluid 
  in 
  needles 
  which 
  are 
  generally 
  shorter, 
  thicker, 
  and 
  less 
  

   silky, 
  than 
  those 
  obtained 
  from 
  Avater. 
  It 
  is 
  insoluble 
  in 
  ether. 
  Ammonia 
  and 
  

   dilute 
  solutions 
  of 
  potash 
  and 
  soda 
  dissolve 
  it 
  in 
  larger 
  proportion 
  than 
  water, 
  but 
  

   the 
  addition 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  concentrated 
  potash 
  to 
  the 
  dilute 
  solution, 
  pre- 
  

   cipitates 
  it, 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  heat, 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  an 
  oily 
  mass, 
  which 
  remains 
  fluid 
  for 
  

   some 
  time 
  under 
  the 
  solution. 
  The 
  potash 
  fluid, 
  on 
  standing 
  for 
  some 
  time, 
  depo- 
  

   sits 
  unchanged 
  narceine, 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  shining 
  plates, 
  which, 
  by 
  recrystallisation, 
  

   again 
  acquire 
  the 
  acicular 
  form. 
  It 
  dissolves 
  in 
  dilute 
  sulphuric, 
  nitric, 
  and 
  hy- 
  

   drochloric 
  acids, 
  without 
  undergoing 
  any 
  change, 
  and 
  the 
  solutions 
  if 
  sufficiently 
  

   concentrated, 
  deposit 
  crystalline 
  salts 
  of 
  narceine. 
  

  

  When 
  boiled 
  with 
  dilute 
  nitric 
  acid, 
  the 
  solution 
  acquires 
  a 
  yellow 
  colour, 
  

   which 
  on 
  saturation 
  with 
  potash 
  becomes 
  reddish-brown, 
  and 
  the 
  odour 
  of 
  a 
  vola- 
  

   tile 
  base 
  is 
  immediately 
  evolved. 
  Concentrated 
  nitric 
  acid 
  acts 
  violently 
  in 
  the 
  

   cold 
  with 
  copious 
  evolution 
  of 
  nitrous 
  fumes 
  ; 
  after 
  boiling 
  for 
  some 
  time 
  it 
  gives 
  

   on 
  dilution 
  a 
  whitish 
  precipitate, 
  soluble 
  in 
  ammonia, 
  and 
  the 
  fluid 
  contains 
  oxalic 
  

   acid. 
  Strong 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  dissolves 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  cold 
  with 
  an 
  intense 
  red 
  colour, 
  

   which 
  on 
  the 
  application 
  of 
  heat 
  passes 
  into 
  a 
  dark 
  green. 
  Strong 
  hydrochloric 
  

   acid 
  dissolves 
  it 
  entirely, 
  and 
  without 
  producing 
  the 
  blue 
  colour 
  which 
  is 
  de- 
  

   scribed 
  by 
  Pelletier 
  as 
  characteristic 
  of 
  narceine. 
  I 
  did 
  obtain 
  a 
  blue 
  colour 
  on 
  

   one 
  occasion, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  when 
  operating 
  on 
  a 
  very 
  small 
  scale, 
  and 
  when 
  the 
  nar- 
  

   ceine 
  was 
  not 
  absolutely 
  pure 
  ; 
  but 
  on 
  repeating 
  and 
  varying 
  the 
  experiment 
  in 
  

   every 
  possible 
  way 
  with 
  the 
  pure 
  base, 
  I 
  have 
  never 
  again 
  succeeded 
  in 
  producing 
  

   it. 
  I 
  have 
  been 
  equally 
  unsuccessful 
  with 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  narceine 
  which 
  I 
  obtained 
  

  

  