﻿CRYSTALLINE 
  CONSTITUENTS 
  OF 
  OPIUM. 
  367 
  

  

  Wohler's 
  formula, 
  C 
  20 
  H,, 
  O 
  10 
  , 
  requires 
  4-30 
  per 
  cent, 
  of 
  hydrogen, 
  which 
  is 
  

   much 
  too 
  low 
  for 
  the 
  experimental 
  result. 
  

  

  Opianic 
  Ether. 
  — 
  According 
  to 
  Wohler, 
  opianic 
  ether 
  cannot 
  be 
  obtained 
  by 
  

   the 
  action 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  or 
  hydrochloric 
  acids 
  upon 
  a 
  mixture 
  of 
  opianic 
  acid 
  and 
  

   alcohol. 
  I 
  have 
  found 
  the 
  reverse 
  of 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  case, 
  and 
  obtained 
  it 
  by 
  chance 
  

   on 
  one 
  occasion 
  when 
  hydrochloric 
  acid 
  had 
  been 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  alcoholic 
  solution 
  of 
  

   the 
  opianate 
  of 
  potash, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  excess 
  of 
  carbonate 
  in 
  

   the 
  preparation 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  itself. 
  It 
  is 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  colourless 
  needles 
  

   which 
  are 
  insoluble 
  in 
  water, 
  but 
  dissolve 
  readily 
  in 
  alcohol 
  and 
  ether. 
  It 
  melts 
  

   under 
  water, 
  and 
  also 
  dry, 
  at 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  198° 
  Fahr. 
  Its 
  analysis 
  gave 
  — 
  

  

  {5 
  - 
  615 
  grains 
  of 
  opianic 
  ether 
  gave 
  

   12-325 
  ... 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-982 
  ... 
  water. 
  

  

  Experiment. 
  Calculation. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  . 
  . 
  59-86 
  60-50 
  C 
  24 
  144 
  

  

  Hydrogen, 
  . 
  . 
  5-90 
  5-88 
  H 
  u 
  14 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  . 
  . 
  34-24 
  33-62 
  O 
  10 
  80 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  238 
  

  

  ffemipinic 
  Acid. 
  — 
  By 
  further 
  evaporation 
  of 
  the 
  solution 
  which 
  has 
  deposited 
  

   opianic 
  acid, 
  hemipinic 
  acid 
  is 
  obtained, 
  and 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  purified 
  by 
  several 
  crystal- 
  

   lisations. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  frequently 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  yellow-coloured, 
  

   but 
  may 
  be 
  readily 
  obtained 
  colourless, 
  and 
  is 
  also 
  effectually 
  separated 
  from 
  any 
  

   traces 
  of 
  opianic 
  acid 
  which 
  may 
  chance 
  to 
  adhere 
  to 
  it, 
  by 
  precipitating 
  the 
  solu- 
  

   tion 
  with 
  acetate 
  of 
  lead, 
  and 
  decomposing 
  the 
  washed 
  hemipinate 
  of 
  lead 
  by 
  a 
  cur- 
  

   rent 
  of 
  sulphuretted 
  hydrogen. 
  The 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  corresponded 
  in 
  all 
  

   respects 
  with 
  Wohler's 
  description, 
  and 
  the 
  analysis 
  gavejthe 
  same 
  results 
  as 
  his. 
  

  

  {5-445 
  gi*ains 
  of 
  hemipinic 
  acid 
  gave 
  

   10-603 
  ... 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-275 
  ... 
  water. 
  

  

  Experiment. 
  Calculation. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  . 
  . 
  53-17 
  53-14 
  C 
  20 
  120 
  

  

  Hydrogen, 
  . 
  . 
  4-64 
  4-42 
  H 
  10 
  10 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  ' 
  . 
  . 
  42-19 
  42 
  44 
  18 
  96 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  226 
  

  

  It 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  the 
  formula 
  above 
  given, 
  C 
  20 
  H 
  10 
  12 
  , 
  is 
  exactly 
  double 
  

   of 
  that 
  attributed 
  to 
  hemipinic 
  acid 
  by 
  Wohler. 
  The 
  examination 
  of 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   salts 
  of 
  hemipinic 
  acid 
  leave 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  bibasic 
  acid, 
  and 
  that 
  its 
  con- 
  

   stitution 
  is 
  correctly 
  expressed 
  by 
  the 
  higher 
  formula, 
  which 
  its 
  relations 
  to 
  

   opianyl 
  and 
  opianic 
  acid 
  would 
  also 
  lead 
  us 
  to 
  consider 
  as 
  extremely 
  probable. 
  

  

  VOL. 
  XX. 
  PART 
  III. 
  5 
  G 
  

  

  