CRYSTALLINE CONSTITUENTS OF OPIUM. 215 



The difference is here only two equivalents of carbon ; but at present we know too 

 little regarding the former base, to permit more than a simple reference to this 

 difference. Again, comparing thebaine with papaverine, — 



Thebaine, C 38 H 21 N0 6 



Papaverine, . . . C 40 H 21 N0 8 



Difference, . C 2 2 



we find them to differ by the elements of two equivalents of carbonic oxide. 



Passing from these, which may be considered as forming a group of substances 

 closely allied, at least in formulae, to one another, we come to other bases nearly 

 related among themselves, but which cannot be connected in any simple way 

 with those just mentioned. Narcotine and narceine deserve the first notice. 



Narceine, C 4C H 29 N0 18 



Narcotine, .... C 46 H 8S N0 14 



Difference, . H. O. 



They differ, therefore, by four equivalents of water only, and narceine might 

 be considered as a hydrate of narcotine. It appeared to me that it must be easy 

 to ascertain whether the molecular condition of narceine admits of this construc- 

 tion ; for in that case, it might be expected to undergo decompositions similar to 

 those of narcotine. I accordingly tried the action of nitric acid upon it, but there 

 was no production of opianyl or cotarnine, and though the decomposition was 

 not followed up, enough was seen to lead me to the inference that most pro- 

 bably a substitution base was produced. 



It is scarcely necessary to refer to the constitution of narcotine, and its rela- 

 tion to opianyl, further than to observe, that in my former memoir I have as- 

 sumed it to be produced by coupling cotarnine with a substance, C 20 H 12 8 , to 

 which I have given the name of hydruret of opianyl. I recur to it here, because 

 I am inclined to think that opianine is similarly constituted, although it must be 

 admitted, that the unsatisfactory and incomplete information we at present 

 possess regarding that base gives the opinion I am now about to hazard a some- 

 what speculative character. 



Hinterberger,* in his preliminary notice announcing the discovery of opian- 

 ine, assigned to it the formula C 6G H 3B N0 23 , which is altered in the published paperf 

 to C 6S H 3G N 2 21 . The difference between these two statements is attributed by 

 Hinterberger to his having at first employed Varrentrap and Will's method 

 of determining nitrogen, by which only half of that element is separated in the 

 form of ammonia, and he consequently obtained only 222 per cent, of nitrogen ; 

 but in subsequently repeating its determination by Dumas's method, he obtained 



* Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, vol. lxxvii., p. 207. f Lbid., vol. lxxxii., p. 320. 



VOL. XXI. PART I. 3 M 



