30 ACTION OF HALOGEN COMPOUNDS OF ETHYL AND AMYL 



{3*552 grains, dried at 212°, gave 

 9-200 „ carbonic acid, and 

 2-095 „ water. 



Experiment. Calculation. 



Carbon, . . 70-63 70-79 C 40 240 



Hydrogen, . . 6-55 6-20 H 2] 21 



Nitrogen, . 4-10 N 14 



Oxygen, . . 1891 O g 64 



100-00 10000 339 



A glance at the result, and the appended calculation of the numbers required by 

 the formula of papaverine, leaves no doubt as to the base of the salt. I was per- 

 fectly satisfied as to its nature, from its appearance and some peculiar well 

 marked reactions characteristic of papaverine ; thus, with strong sulphuric acid 

 it yielded a splendid purple fluid, at the instant of solution, and when heated 

 with a little nitric acid, became converted into a mass of yellow crystals, which 

 are nitrate of nitropapaverine, described by Dr Anderson.* 



Behaviour of Narcotine toith Iodide of Ethyl. 



Hydriodate of Narcotine. — The next alkaloid of opium submitted to examina- 

 tion was narcotine ; and the following experiment shews its deportment to be per- 

 fectly similar to that of papaverine. 



Some narcotine in fine powder was heated in a sealed tube with absolute 

 alcohol and iodide of ethyl ; after about ten minutes exposure to a temperature 

 of 21 2°, the whole of the base disappeared; but to insure complete decomposition, 

 the heat was continued some twenty minutes longer. When the tube had cooled, 

 and stood a short time, groups of four-sided colourless prisms appeared. On 

 opening the vessel, and submitting these to examination, they proved to be un- 

 changed narcotine, while their mother liquor was found to contain an hydriodate. 

 The excess of iodide of ethyl and alcohol was accordingly distilled off, and the re- 

 maining syrup tested as to its nature ; it was almost entirely soluble in boiling 

 water, leaving only a little narcotine, and the solution contained the hydrio- 

 date of that base. 



This salt is deposited, from a concentrated fluid, as an oil which does not become 

 crystalline, and when its solution is evaporated, spontaneously or at 212°, an oily 

 mass is also obtained, which does not crystallize from alcohol, or ether, or a 

 mixture of these substances. Owing to its occurring only in this amorphous 

 state, I did not attempt to submit it to analysis; but its solution yielded to 

 ammonia a precipitate easily to be recognised as narcotine, by its characters and 

 chemical reactions ; and in order fully to substantiate the nature of the base, 

 the hydriodate was converted into a platinum salt in the following manner : — 



* Loc. cit. 



