342 



Messrs. Matthiessen and Wright on [Mar. 18, 



(2) As stated by former observers, narcotine under the influence of oxi- 

 dizing agents splits up into opianic acid and cotarnine. 



C !2 H 23 NO, + O = C„ H 10 5 + C 12 H 13 NO,. 



(3) When heated to a little above 200° per se, or for a considerable 

 time in contact with water, narcotine splits up into meconin and cotarnine 

 (vol. xvii. p. 340). 



C 22 H 23 N0 7 = C 10 H 10 4 + C 12 H 13 N0 3 . 



(4) "When narcotine is heated with excess of hydrochloric acid for a short 

 time (about two hours), chloride of methyl is formed, and one atom of H 

 substituted for CH 3 in the narcotine ; if heated for along time (some days), 

 two atoms of H are substituted for two of CH 3 ; when heated with fuming 

 hydriodic acid, iodide of methyl is formed in such quantities as to prove 

 that three atoms of H are substituted for three of CH 3 . A series of homo- 

 logous bases is thus formed, whose decompositions are analogous to those 

 of narcotine. 



(5) Cotarnine has been shown to have the formula C 12 H 13 N0 3 , and not 

 C 13 H 13 N0 3 , and is capable of crystallizing with half a molecule, and with 

 a whole molecule, of water of crystallization. 



(6) When cotarnine is heated with dilute nitric acid, under certain not 

 clearly understood circumstances, cotarnic acid and methylamine is pro- 

 duced, 



C 12 H 13 N0 3 + 2 H 2 O = C n H 12 5 + CH. N ; 

 with strong nitric acid, as stated by previous observers, apophyllic acid is 

 produced; other oxidizing agents give no definite results (vol. xi. p. 59). 



(7) When cotarnine is heated with strong hydrochloric acid, chloride of 

 methyl is formed, and hydrochlorate of cotarnamic acid. 



C 12 H i3 N0 3 + H 2 O + 2 HC1= CH 3 CI + C u H 13 N0 4 , HC1. 

 Hydriodic acid produces a similar reaction, only one equivalent of CH 3 

 being removed for one of cotarnine (vol. xii. p. 503). 



(8) Opianic acid under the influence of nascent hydrogen (as when 

 treated with sodium-amalgam or zinc and sulphuric acid) is reduced to 

 meconin (vol. xii. p. 503). 



C 10 H 10 O 5 + H 2 =H 2 O-f C 10 H 10 O 4 . 



(9) Opianic acid heated with bichromate of potassium and dilute sul- 

 phuric acid becomes oxidized to hemipinic acid (vol. xvii. p. 341). 



C 10 H 10 O 5 + O=C I0 H 10 O 6 . 



(10) Opianic acid heated with caustic potash splits up into meconin and 

 hemipinic acid (vol. xi. p. 57). 



2C 10 H 10 O 3 =C 10 H 10 O 1 +C 10 H, O 8 . 



(11) Opianic acid heated with excess of hydrochloric acid forms chloride 

 of methyl, hydrogen being substituted for CH 3 in the opianic acid : it ap- 

 pears probable that two distinct substances are thus produced, noropianic 

 acid and methyl-noropianic acid—the former by substitution of H 2 for 



