﻿CRYSTALLINE 
  CONSTITUENTS 
  OF 
  OPIUM. 
  369 
  

  

  evaporating 
  to 
  dryness 
  in 
  the 
  water-bath 
  and 
  crystallising 
  the 
  residue 
  from 
  alco- 
  

   hol 
  or 
  water. 
  It 
  is 
  thus 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  tufts 
  of 
  extremely 
  light 
  and 
  bulky 
  

   crystals, 
  sparingly 
  soluble 
  in 
  cold 
  water, 
  but 
  more 
  so 
  in 
  boiling. 
  It 
  fuses 
  when 
  

   dry 
  at 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  270° 
  Fahr., 
  but 
  melts 
  easily 
  under 
  boiling 
  water 
  into 
  a 
  

   transparent 
  fluid. 
  It 
  is 
  strongly 
  acid 
  to 
  test 
  paper. 
  Its 
  aqueous 
  solution 
  does 
  

   not 
  precipitate 
  the 
  salts 
  of 
  lead 
  or 
  silver, 
  but 
  gives 
  with 
  perchloride 
  of 
  iron 
  a 
  

   bulky, 
  pale 
  brownish-yellow 
  precipitate. 
  It 
  dissolves 
  readily 
  in 
  potash, 
  and 
  the 
  

   solution, 
  on 
  boiling, 
  evolves 
  alcohol. 
  

  

  {5*445 
  grains 
  hemipinovinic 
  acid, 
  dried 
  at 
  212°, 
  gave 
  

   10-603 
  ... 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   2-275 
  ... 
  water. 
  

  

  Experiment. 
  Calculation. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  . 
  . 
  56-45 
  56-69 
  C 
  24 
  144 
  

  

  Hydrogen, 
  . 
  . 
  5-67 
  5-51 
  H 
  14 
  14 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  . 
  . 
  37"88 
  37'80 
  18 
  96 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  254 
  

  

  This 
  corresponds 
  exactly 
  with 
  the 
  formula 
  

  

  C 
  4 
  H 
  5 
  O 
  HO 
  C 
  20 
  H 
  8 
  O 
  10 
  ; 
  

   but 
  the 
  crystallised 
  substance 
  contains, 
  in 
  addition, 
  three 
  equivalents 
  of 
  water 
  of 
  

   crystallisation. 
  5-74 
  grains 
  lost 
  0-570 
  grains 
  at 
  212°, 
  corresponding 
  to 
  9'93 
  per 
  

   cent., 
  and 
  the 
  calculation 
  for 
  three 
  equivalents 
  gives 
  9-60. 
  Crystallised 
  hemi- 
  

   pinovinic 
  acid 
  has, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  formula 
  

  

  C 
  4 
  H 
  5 
  O 
  HO 
  C 
  20 
  H 
  8 
  O 
  10 
  + 
  3 
  HO. 
  

  

  Although 
  hemipinovinic 
  acid 
  possesses 
  distinctly 
  acid 
  properties, 
  and 
  is 
  capable 
  

   of 
  combining 
  with 
  bases, 
  I 
  have 
  failed 
  in 
  obtaining 
  its 
  compounds 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  

   purity. 
  Its 
  baryta 
  salt 
  was 
  obtained 
  in 
  tufts 
  of 
  minute 
  needles, 
  by 
  digesting 
  the 
  

   solution 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  with 
  carbonate 
  of 
  baryta, 
  or 
  baryta 
  water, 
  evaporating, 
  dis- 
  

   solving 
  in 
  water 
  and 
  recrystallising. 
  But 
  the 
  compound 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  obtained 
  in 
  

   a 
  state 
  fitted 
  for 
  analysis, 
  and 
  appears 
  to 
  be 
  very 
  liable 
  to 
  undergo 
  decomposition. 
  

  

  The 
  existence 
  of 
  an 
  acid 
  potass 
  salt, 
  and 
  an 
  acid 
  ether, 
  appear 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  esta- 
  

   blish, 
  in 
  the 
  most 
  conclusive 
  manner, 
  the 
  bibasic 
  character 
  of 
  hemipinic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   to 
  connect 
  it 
  most 
  closely 
  with 
  opianic 
  acid. 
  It 
  is, 
  however, 
  very 
  remarkable, 
  that 
  

   by 
  the 
  simple 
  addition 
  of 
  two 
  equivalents 
  of 
  oxygen, 
  the 
  latter 
  acid, 
  which 
  is 
  

   unequivocally 
  monobasic, 
  should 
  acquire 
  bibasic 
  properties. 
  The 
  compounds 
  and 
  

   products 
  of 
  decomposition 
  of 
  both 
  acids 
  are 
  deserving 
  of 
  further 
  study, 
  but 
  want 
  

   of 
  time 
  has 
  prevented 
  my 
  pursuing 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  investigation 
  further. 
  

  

  XI. 
  Action 
  of 
  Nitric 
  Acid 
  on 
  Cotarnine. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  already 
  mentioned 
  that 
  narcotine, 
  when 
  treated 
  with 
  strong 
  nitric 
  acid, 
  

   undergoes 
  a 
  very 
  powerful 
  oxidation, 
  in 
  which 
  products 
  of 
  further 
  changes 
  are 
  

  

  