208 DR T. ANDERSON ON SOME OF THE 



be obtained. I shall only employ the word meconine to distinguish that got di- 

 rectly from opium from that produced by the decomposition of narcotine. 



Action of Nitric Acid on Opianyl. 



The relation in formulas of opianyl and opianic acid led me to anticipate the 

 easy conversion of the one into the other ; but this anticipation has not been 

 confirmed by experiment. I had immediate recourse to nitric acid, as the 

 readiest means of effecting the expected change ; but in place of opianic acid there 

 was formed a substitution product corresponding with Couerbe's hyponitro- 

 meconic acid, although neither its properties nor the mode of its preparation 

 agree with his description. 



Nitr opianyl. — Opianyl dissolves abundantly in cold concentrated nitric acid, 

 and a few red fumes are given off when heat is applied. On dilution the fluid 

 becomes filled with bulky crystals, which are obtained pure by washing and so- 

 lution in boiling spirit. Nitropianyl is obtained in fine white needles and prisms, 

 sometimes of considerable length. It is very sparingly soluble in cold water, 

 more so in boiling, and the solution on cooling deposits it in minute crystals. It 

 is much more soluble in boiling alcohol, and is also dissolved by ether. All these 

 solutions are perfectly colourless, and absolutely neutral to test-paper. It melts 

 at 320° into a transparent fluid, which solidifies on cooling into a crystalline 

 mass. Heated in small quantity on a platinum knife, it volatilizes almost com- 

 pletely, leaving only a trifling carbonaceous residue ; but in a test-tube it decom- 

 poses suddenly, when the temperature rises to a certain point, leaving a bulky, 

 porous charcoal. It is not precipitated by metallic salts, and possesses no acid 

 properties. It does not dissolve in cold potash or ammonia more abundantly than 

 in water ; but on boiling, a larger quantity is taken up, the fluid becomes yellow, 

 but nothing is deposited on cooling or on the addition of hydrochloric acid, and 

 the nitropianyl obviously undergoes some change, which deficiency of material 

 has prevented me from examining. Nitropianyl is insoluble in hydrochloric acid ; 

 strong nitric acid dissolves it readily in the cold, and deposits it in crystalline 

 flocks on dilution. When treated with concentrated sulphuric acid the crystals 

 immediately become yellow, and on the application of heat they dissolve with a 

 red colour, which becomes more and more intense as the temperature rises. On 

 dilution with water, the fluid acquires a dirty red colour, which is rendered 

 darker by ammonia. The analysis of nitropianyl gave the following results : — 



f 5-170 grains of nitropianyl, dried at 212°, gave 





\ 9-500 ., 



carbonic acid, a 



,nd 









[1-840 . 



. . water. 













Experiment. 



50-11 





Calculation. 





Carbon, 



50-20 



C 20 



120 



Hydrogen, 



• 



3-92 



3-76 



H 9 



9 



Nitrogen, 



m 



. ... 



5-85 



N 



14 



Oxygen, 



• 



. 



40-19 



o 12 



96 



100-00 239 



