284 



Dr. C. R. A. Wright's Contributions to the [Apr. 1 1, 



§ 3. Action of Hydriodic Acid and Phosphorus on the Polymerides 



of Codeia. 



(a) Bicodeia. — When pure dicodeia is dissolved in a large excess of 

 strong hydriodic acid (55 per cent. HI) and heated, together with a piece 

 of phosphorus, to ebullition until the boiling-point rises to 120°, methyl 

 iodide is given off and a considerable quantity of phosphoric acid formed. The 

 product, filtered through asbestos and precipitated with water, yields snow- 

 white flakes that become yellow by exposure to air, and melt to a colourless 

 oil at 100° when moist, although they do not fuse at that temperature 

 when thoroughly dried. Dried at 100°, 



0-3155 grm. gave.0-5620 C0 2 and 0'1460 H 3 0. 

 0-1895 „ 0-1190 AgL 



Calculated. 









Found. 





1632 



48-45 



48-58 





161 



4-78 



5-14 



I. 



1143 



33-94 



33*92 



N 8 



112 



3-33 





O, 



320 



9-50 





C 13G H 153 IN 8 O 20 ,8HI 



3368 



100-00 





Hence this substance is formed by the reaction 

 2C 72 H 81 N 4 12 , 4 HI + 1 7HI - \ + 4H 2 O + 8 CH 3 1 + C 13u II, „I N 8 O 20 , 8HI. 



The physical properties of this substance are almost identical with those 

 of the bodies of analogous constitution (containing C 136 ) formerly obtained 

 from both codeia and morphia (Part IV,) . Carbonate of sodium throws down 

 a precipitate almost insoluble in ether, showing that polymerization to the 

 tetra series has taken place ; agitated with a large bulk of ether, this preci- 

 pitate furnishes an extract which, on agitation with dilute nitric acid and boil- 

 ing with AgN0 3 and N0 3 H of the nitrate thus obtained, yields a precipi- 

 tate of Agl, showing that iodine is contained in the precipitated base. 

 The substance itself, boiled with AgN0 3 and HN0 3 , produces a deep 

 orange-colour, intermediate in tint between the blood-red produced by the 

 derivatives of polymerized C n H 19 N0 3 , and the deep yellow of those of 

 polymerized C 17 H 21 NO s , a result confirmatory to some extent of the formula 

 deduced from the analysis, this being capable of representation as 

 8(C 17 H 20 N0 3 ) + 9HI-4H 2 O. 



From this it appears pretty evident that the formulee hitherto attributed 

 to the tetra bases (containing C es — C 72 ) are only half the true ones, which 

 contain C 136 — C 144 . 



(b) Tetracodeia. — On treating tetracodeia in the same way and conti- 

 nuing the ebullition until the temperature reaches 130°, a brown syrupy 

 liquid is finally obtained, which yields, on filtration through asbestos and 



