﻿CRYSTALLINE 
  CONSTITUENTS 
  OF 
  OPIUM. 
  363 
  

  

  by 
  filtration, 
  and 
  the 
  evaporation 
  repeated 
  until 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  possible 
  is 
  separated. 
  

   The 
  remaining 
  syrupy 
  fluid, 
  which 
  contains 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  carbonate 
  of 
  potash, 
  

   is 
  then 
  boiled 
  with 
  successive 
  quantities 
  of 
  rectified 
  spirit, 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  anything 
  

   is 
  extracted, 
  the 
  alcohol 
  is 
  distilled 
  off, 
  and 
  the 
  residue 
  mixed 
  in 
  the 
  cold 
  

   with 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  hydrochloric 
  acid. 
  A 
  precipitate 
  makes 
  its 
  appearance, 
  with 
  

   characters 
  differing 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  substances 
  which 
  happen 
  to 
  be 
  present, 
  and 
  

   is 
  sometimes 
  crystalline, 
  and 
  sometimes 
  a 
  syrupy 
  mass, 
  which 
  passes 
  into 
  the 
  

   crystalline 
  state 
  on 
  standing. 
  This 
  precipitate 
  contains 
  opianic 
  acid, 
  hemipinic 
  

   acid, 
  and 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  two 
  other 
  substances, 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  give 
  the 
  name 
  

   of 
  Opianyl, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  that 
  of 
  Hydrate 
  of 
  Opianyl. 
  

  

  Opianyl. 
  — 
  This 
  substance 
  is 
  only 
  formed 
  when 
  the 
  oxidation 
  has 
  been 
  extremely 
  

   gentle, 
  and, 
  though 
  repeated 
  trials 
  have 
  been 
  made, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  impossible 
  

   to 
  moderate 
  the 
  action 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  as 
  to 
  produce 
  it 
  at 
  will. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  obtain 
  

   it 
  in 
  a 
  pure 
  state, 
  the 
  precipitate 
  by 
  hydrochloric 
  acid, 
  which 
  has 
  just 
  been 
  

   referred 
  to, 
  is 
  dissolved 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  boiling 
  water, 
  and 
  the 
  solution 
  

   allowed 
  to 
  cool. 
  A 
  crop 
  of 
  crystals 
  is 
  deposited 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  opianyl 
  along 
  

   with 
  some 
  opianic 
  acid, 
  if 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  water 
  employed 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  suffi- 
  

   ciently 
  large. 
  These 
  crystals 
  are 
  purified 
  by 
  solution 
  in 
  boiling 
  water 
  and 
  in 
  

   alcohol. 
  In 
  one 
  instance 
  opianyl 
  was 
  obtained 
  along 
  with 
  hemipinic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   with 
  only 
  traces 
  of 
  opianic 
  acid, 
  and 
  in 
  that 
  case 
  its 
  purification 
  was 
  conveniently 
  

   effected 
  by 
  dissolving 
  in 
  boiling 
  water, 
  precipitating 
  hemipinate 
  of 
  lead 
  with 
  a 
  

   solution 
  of 
  neutral 
  acetate 
  of 
  lead, 
  washing 
  the 
  precipitate 
  in 
  boiling 
  water, 
  and 
  

   evaporating 
  to 
  a 
  small 
  bulk, 
  when 
  opianyl 
  was 
  deposited 
  in 
  colourless 
  crystals, 
  

   which 
  were 
  purified 
  by 
  solution 
  in 
  boiling 
  water. 
  

  

  Opianyl 
  is 
  thus 
  obtained 
  in 
  long 
  delicate 
  needles, 
  which, 
  when 
  pure, 
  are 
  per- 
  

   fectly 
  colourless. 
  They 
  are 
  sparingly 
  soluble 
  in 
  cold 
  water, 
  and 
  more 
  soluble 
  in 
  

   boiling. 
  When 
  a 
  quantity 
  is 
  boiled 
  with 
  a 
  smaller 
  amount 
  of 
  water 
  than 
  is 
  re- 
  

   quired 
  to 
  dissolve 
  it, 
  the 
  residue 
  melts 
  under 
  the 
  fluid 
  ; 
  but 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  fuse 
  at 
  

   212° 
  in 
  the 
  water-bath, 
  requiring, 
  when 
  dry, 
  a 
  temperature 
  of 
  230° 
  to 
  produce 
  its 
  

   fusion, 
  and, 
  on 
  cooling, 
  it 
  resolidifies 
  at 
  about 
  220°. 
  In 
  alcohol 
  it 
  is 
  easily 
  soluble. 
  

   Ether 
  takes 
  it 
  up 
  readily, 
  and, 
  on 
  evaporation, 
  deposits 
  it 
  in 
  brilliant 
  groups 
  of 
  

   radiated 
  needles. 
  Concentrated 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  dissolves 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  cold, 
  and 
  forms 
  

   a 
  perfectly 
  colourless 
  solution, 
  which, 
  when 
  heated, 
  becomes 
  of 
  a 
  beautiful 
  and 
  

   characteristic 
  purple 
  colour. 
  Nitric 
  acid, 
  of 
  specific 
  gravity 
  1*400, 
  dissolves 
  it 
  

   in 
  the 
  cold, 
  and 
  on 
  dilution 
  with 
  water 
  it 
  is 
  deposited 
  unchanged. 
  By 
  boiling, 
  

   red 
  fumes 
  are 
  evolved, 
  and 
  the 
  fluid 
  no 
  longer 
  gives 
  a 
  precipitate 
  on 
  being- 
  

   diluted. 
  Hydrochloric 
  acid 
  dissolves 
  it 
  in 
  somewhat 
  larger 
  quantity 
  than 
  water. 
  

   Solutions 
  of 
  potash, 
  soda, 
  and 
  ammonia, 
  do 
  not 
  dissolve 
  it 
  more 
  abundantly 
  than 
  

   Avater. 
  It 
  is 
  incapable 
  of 
  forming 
  compounds 
  with 
  the 
  metallic 
  oxides, 
  and 
  con- 
  

   tains 
  no 
  nitrogen. 
  

  

  VOL. 
  XX. 
  PART 
  III. 
  5 
  F 
  

  

  