﻿CRYSTALLINE 
  CONSTITUENTS 
  OF 
  OPIUM. 
  359 
  

  

  The 
  formula 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  is 
  therefore 
  C 
  38 
  H 
  21 
  NO 
  G 
  H 
  CI 
  Pt 
  Cl 
  2 
  + 
  2 
  HO. 
  

  

  Deficiency 
  of 
  time 
  and 
  material 
  have 
  prevented 
  the 
  full 
  examination 
  of 
  any 
  

   other 
  salts 
  of 
  thebaine. 
  The 
  sulphate 
  was 
  prepared 
  by 
  adding 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  to 
  

   an 
  ethereal 
  solution 
  of 
  thebaine 
  ; 
  it 
  was 
  deposited 
  partly 
  in 
  crystals, 
  partly 
  as 
  a 
  

   resinous 
  mass 
  which 
  became 
  crystalline 
  on 
  standing. 
  This 
  was 
  dissolved 
  in 
  ab- 
  

   solute 
  alcohol, 
  and 
  thrown 
  down 
  by 
  ether 
  as 
  a 
  white 
  powder. 
  A 
  determination 
  

   of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  gave 
  16*53 
  per 
  cent., 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  removed 
  from 
  the 
  quantity 
  

   required 
  by 
  theory 
  for 
  a 
  sesquisulphate. 
  

  

  Hydrochlorate 
  of 
  thebaine 
  gives, 
  with 
  a 
  spiritous 
  solution 
  of 
  corrosive 
  subli- 
  

   mate, 
  a 
  fine 
  white 
  crystalline 
  precipitate 
  of 
  a 
  double 
  salt, 
  and 
  the 
  alcoholic 
  solu- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  itself 
  gives 
  a 
  bulky 
  precipitate 
  insoluble 
  in 
  water 
  and 
  alcohol 
  ; 
  

   neither 
  of 
  these 
  substances, 
  however, 
  could 
  be 
  got 
  of 
  constant 
  composition. 
  

  

  Terchloride 
  of 
  gold 
  gives 
  a 
  fine 
  reddish-orange 
  precipitate, 
  which, 
  at 
  212°, 
  

   fuses 
  into 
  a 
  resinous 
  mass. 
  

  

  IX. 
  Action 
  of 
  Nitric 
  Acid 
  on 
  Narcotine. 
  

  

  Narcotine 
  has 
  been 
  already 
  repeatedly 
  analysed, 
  and 
  its 
  constitution 
  sa- 
  

   tisfactorily 
  determined. 
  I 
  have 
  not, 
  therefore, 
  attempted 
  to 
  repeat 
  its 
  analysis, 
  

   or 
  to 
  add 
  any 
  confirmatory 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  correctness 
  of 
  its 
  formula, 
  but 
  have 
  

   directed 
  my 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid 
  upon 
  it, 
  which 
  I 
  had 
  found, 
  by 
  

   previous 
  experiments, 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  products 
  varying 
  with 
  the 
  circumstances 
  

   of 
  the 
  action 
  and 
  the 
  concentration 
  of 
  the 
  acid. 
  When 
  proper 
  precautions 
  are 
  

   taken, 
  the 
  whole 
  series 
  of 
  products 
  which 
  Wohler 
  discovered 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  

   peroxide 
  of 
  manganese 
  and 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  upon 
  narcotine, 
  are 
  obtained 
  along 
  

   with 
  several 
  new 
  substances, 
  which 
  stand 
  in 
  very 
  intimate 
  relation 
  to 
  these 
  

   compounds, 
  and 
  are 
  peculiarly 
  remarkable, 
  both 
  in 
  their 
  chemical 
  relations 
  and 
  

   the 
  circumstances 
  under 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  produced. 
  

  

  When 
  concentrated 
  nitric 
  acid 
  is 
  added 
  to 
  narcotine, 
  a 
  very 
  violent 
  action 
  

   ensues, 
  even 
  in 
  the 
  cold 
  ; 
  red 
  fumes 
  are 
  copiously 
  evolved, 
  and 
  a 
  thick 
  resinous- 
  

   looking 
  red 
  matter 
  is 
  left 
  behind. 
  With 
  somewhat 
  weaker 
  acid 
  and 
  a 
  gentle 
  

   heat, 
  a 
  similar 
  action 
  takes 
  place, 
  and 
  a 
  red 
  fluid 
  is 
  obtained, 
  which, 
  by 
  evapora- 
  

   tion, 
  yields 
  an 
  amorphous 
  orange 
  residue. 
  In 
  both 
  cases, 
  the 
  action 
  was 
  much 
  

   too 
  violent, 
  and 
  the 
  product 
  obtained 
  obviously 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  several 
  complex 
  ac- 
  

   tions. 
  The 
  action 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  dilute 
  state 
  was 
  therefore 
  tried 
  and 
  

   after 
  several 
  experiments, 
  the 
  following 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  most 
  advantageous 
  

   method 
  of 
  treatment. 
  Six 
  hundred 
  grains 
  of 
  narcotine 
  are 
  mixed 
  with 
  two-and- 
  

   a-half 
  ounces, 
  by 
  measure, 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid, 
  of 
  specific 
  gravity 
  1-400, 
  diluted 
  with 
  

   ten 
  ounces 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  exposed 
  in 
  the 
  water-bath 
  to 
  an 
  uniform 
  temperature 
  

   of 
  120° 
  Fahr. 
  The 
  narcotine 
  fuses 
  into 
  a 
  yellowish 
  mass, 
  which, 
  by 
  continuous 
  

   agitation, 
  slowly 
  dissolves 
  without 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  red 
  fumes. 
  When 
  the 
  solution 
  

   is 
  nearly 
  complete, 
  a 
  small 
  quantity 
  of 
  a 
  white 
  deposit 
  begins 
  to 
  make 
  its 
  appear- 
  

  

  VOL. 
  XX. 
  PART 
  III. 
  5 
  E 
  

  

  