340 



Messrs. Matthiessen and Wright on [Mar. 18, 



II. " Researches into the Chemical Constitution of Narcotine, and 

 of its Products of Decomposition." — Part IV. By Augustus 

 Matthiessen, P.R.S., Lecturer on Chemistry in St. Bartholo- 

 mew's Hospital, and C. R. A. Wright, B.Sc. London. Re- 

 ceived February 18, 1869. 



(Abstract.) 



In Section I. of this memoir some new reactions of narcotine are described. 



A. When narcotine is submitted to the action of water, either boiling in 

 open vessels or at temperatures above 100° C. in sealed tubes, it splits up 

 into meconin and cotarnine. 



C 22 H 23 NO,=C 10 H 10 4 + O a H„ NO s . 



The splitting up of narcotine under the influence of heated water may 

 explain the occurrence of meconin in opium-residues, as probably the 

 small amount of meconin always found there is simply due to the partial de- 

 composition of the narcotine during the processes of extraction of morphia. 



B. Narcotine heated per se to a little above 200° splits up as above into 

 meconin and cotarnine, the latter being immediately decomposed at that 

 temperature. 



C. When hydrochlorate of narcotine is heated along with ferric chloride 

 solution, the latter is reduced and the narcotine converted into opianic acid 

 and cotarnine. 



C 22 H 23 NO 7 +O=C 10 H M 5 + C 12 H 13 N0 8 . 



Section II. treats of the decompositions of the narcotine-bases. 



A. Dimethyl-nornarcotine, when heated to above 100° C. with water in 

 sealed tubes, undergoes decomposition : from the corresponding narcotine 

 reaction it would seem that this decomposition might take place in either 

 of two ways : — 



Narcotine. Meconin. Cotarnine. 



C 19 H u (CH 3 ) 3 N0 7 =C 8 H 4 (CH 3 ) 2 4 + C u H„ (CH 3 ) N0 3 . 



Dimethvl-nornarcotine. Methyl-normeconin. Cotarnine. 



C 19 H; 5 (CH3) 2 N0 7 = C 8 H 5 (CH 3 )0 4 +C u H 10 (CH 3 )NO 3> 



or 



Meconin. Cotarnimide. 



C„ H 15 (CH 3 ) 2 N0,=C s H 4 (CH 3 ) 2 4 +C n H„ N0 S . 



Of these the former reaction is apparently the one which thus takes place. 



This conclusion is borne out by the fact that, when treated with ferric or 

 platinic chloride, the hydrochlorate of dimethyl-nornarcotine forms methyl- 

 noropianic acid and cotarnine, and not opianic acid and cotarnimide. 

 Dimethyl-nornarcotine. Methyl-noropianic acid. Cotarnine. 



C 19 H u (CH 3 ) 2 N0 7 +0=C 8 H, (CH 3 ) 0, + C„ H 10 (CH 3 ) N0 3 , 



and not 



Opianic acid. Cotarnimide. 



C„ H„ (CH,) 2 N0 7 + 0= C B H 4 (CH 3 ) 2 5 + C u H u NO,. 



