﻿370 
  dr 
  andeeson's 
  researches 
  on 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  obtained 
  ; 
  and 
  as 
  these 
  changes 
  are 
  obviously 
  not 
  confined 
  to 
  the 
  non-nitrogenous 
  

   component 
  of 
  narcotine, 
  but 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  cotarnine 
  also, 
  I 
  proceeded 
  to 
  the 
  

   examination 
  of 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid 
  upon 
  that 
  substance 
  in 
  a 
  pure, 
  or 
  at 
  least 
  

   in 
  a 
  nearly 
  pure, 
  state. 
  

  

  The 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid 
  on 
  cotarnine 
  are 
  extremely 
  complex, 
  

   and 
  several 
  different 
  actions 
  appear 
  to 
  occur 
  simultaneously, 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  a 
  

   different 
  decomposition 
  is 
  produced. 
  When 
  concentrated 
  nitric 
  acid 
  is 
  employed, 
  

   an 
  extremely 
  violent 
  and 
  tumultuous 
  action 
  takes 
  place 
  on 
  boiling, 
  and 
  the 
  fluid 
  

   contains 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  oxalic 
  acid. 
  When, 
  however, 
  the 
  acid 
  is 
  more 
  dilute, 
  

   the 
  action 
  goes 
  on 
  more 
  steadily, 
  red 
  fumes 
  are 
  abundantly 
  developed 
  and 
  an 
  

   acid 
  substance 
  is 
  produced, 
  which 
  remains 
  in 
  solution 
  in 
  the 
  nitric 
  acid. 
  The 
  

   preparation 
  of 
  this 
  substance 
  is 
  a 
  matter 
  of 
  considerable 
  nicety, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  particu- 
  

   larly 
  important 
  that 
  the 
  nitric 
  acid 
  be 
  not 
  employed 
  in 
  too 
  large 
  an 
  excess, 
  partly 
  

   on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  risk 
  of 
  carrying 
  the 
  action 
  too 
  far, 
  and 
  partly 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  

   difficulty 
  of 
  separating 
  the 
  product 
  from 
  a 
  very 
  large 
  excess 
  of 
  acid. 
  As 
  the 
  new 
  

   product 
  is 
  liable 
  to 
  undergo 
  a 
  further 
  oxidation 
  with 
  production 
  of 
  oxalic 
  acid, 
  it 
  

   is 
  not 
  safe 
  to 
  attempt 
  its 
  separation 
  by 
  evaporating 
  the 
  nitric 
  acid 
  solution. 
  The 
  

   best 
  method 
  is 
  to 
  dissolve 
  the 
  cotarnine 
  in 
  nitric 
  acid 
  diluted 
  with 
  about 
  twice 
  

   its 
  bulk 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  then 
  adding 
  strong 
  nitric 
  acid 
  to 
  raise 
  the 
  mixture 
  to 
  the 
  

   boiling-point. 
  Red 
  fumes 
  are 
  copiously 
  evolved, 
  and 
  after 
  some 
  time 
  a 
  small 
  

   quantity 
  of 
  the 
  fluid 
  is 
  taken 
  out 
  and 
  mixed 
  with 
  a 
  considerable 
  quantity 
  of 
  alco- 
  

   hol 
  and 
  ether. 
  If 
  on 
  standing 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  crystals 
  are 
  deposited, 
  the 
  whole 
  

   fluid 
  is 
  treated 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  ; 
  but, 
  if 
  they 
  do 
  not 
  appear, 
  the 
  digestion 
  is 
  

   continued 
  somewhat 
  longer, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  tried 
  again, 
  and 
  so 
  on, 
  until 
  the 
  right 
  point 
  

   is 
  hit. 
  The 
  fluid, 
  mixed 
  with 
  alcohol 
  and 
  ether, 
  is 
  allowed 
  to 
  stand 
  for 
  twenty- 
  

   four 
  hours, 
  and 
  the 
  precipitated 
  crystals 
  are 
  separated 
  by 
  filtration. 
  This 
  sub- 
  

   stance 
  agrees 
  in 
  all 
  respects 
  with 
  the 
  apophyllic 
  acid 
  obtained 
  by 
  Wohler 
  as 
  a 
  

   product 
  of 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  bichloride 
  of 
  platinum 
  upon 
  cotarnine, 
  and 
  which 
  he 
  

   obtained 
  in 
  too 
  small 
  a 
  quantity 
  for 
  examination 
  and 
  analysis. 
  

  

  Apophyllic 
  Acid.— 
  The 
  crude 
  crystals 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  deposited 
  from 
  the 
  alcohol 
  

   and 
  ether 
  are 
  purified 
  by 
  solution 
  in 
  boiling 
  water, 
  and, 
  if 
  necessary, 
  by 
  digestion 
  

   with 
  animal 
  charcoal 
  and 
  crystallisation. 
  It 
  then 
  presents 
  ail 
  the 
  characters 
  at- 
  

   tributed 
  to 
  it 
  by 
  Wohler, 
  and 
  is 
  obtained 
  with 
  ease, 
  either 
  in 
  Irydrated 
  or 
  anhy- 
  

   drous 
  ciystals, 
  as 
  described 
  by 
  him. 
  It 
  dissolves 
  in 
  water, 
  but 
  not 
  in 
  alcohol 
  and 
  

   ether. 
  Concentrated 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  dissolves 
  it 
  readily, 
  and 
  the 
  solution 
  remains 
  

   colourless 
  even 
  when 
  pretty 
  strongly 
  heated. 
  Strong 
  nitric 
  acid 
  oxidises 
  it. 
  When 
  

   heated 
  on 
  the 
  platinum 
  knife 
  it 
  fuses, 
  and, 
  on 
  cooling, 
  solidifies 
  into 
  a 
  crystalline 
  

   mass. 
  Its 
  fusing 
  point 
  is 
  401°. 
  It 
  dissolves 
  in 
  large 
  quantity 
  in 
  potass 
  and 
  soda, 
  

   also 
  in 
  ammonia, 
  and 
  the 
  latter 
  solution, 
  on 
  evaporation, 
  gives 
  very 
  soluble 
  crys- 
  

   tals 
  of 
  an 
  ammonia 
  salt. 
  Its 
  salts 
  are 
  all 
  very 
  soluble, 
  and 
  are 
  not 
  easily 
  obtained 
  

   in 
  a 
  satisfactory 
  state 
  for 
  analysis. 
  

  

  