508 



Dr. C. R. A. Wright on the Action of [June 15 



From the above numbers, and more especially from the percentages of 

 H, CI, and Br found, it appears that while specimen A may have con- 

 tained some little quantity of deoxycodeia, specimen B must have consisted 

 almost wholly of the lower homologue ; to this body the name deoxymor- 

 phia may appropriately be given (provisionally), to indicate that its com- 

 position bears the same relation to that of morphia as deoxycodeia to 

 codeia. 



The numbers required for apomorphia salts are very close to those actually 

 obtained above, viz. for hydrochlorate C = 67*22, H = 5'93, Cl= 11*70; 

 and for hydrobromate C=58-62, H = 5'17, Br=22'99; but the entire 

 absence of emetic properties in all these specimens, as observed by Dr. 

 Michael Foster, conclusively proves that this base could not have been 

 present. 



Further research is required before it can be decided with certainty 

 which of the three oxygen atoms in codeia is removed in the formation 

 of deoxycodeia ; the production of deoxymorphia with simultaneous evo- 

 lution of methyl bromide, however, indicates that the oxygen that links 

 the methyl group to the rest of the codeia residue is still present in deoxy- 

 codeia and deoxymorphia, while the production of both from bromocodide 

 renders the following formulae probable : — 



Codeia. Bromocodide. Deoxycodeia. 



C„ H 17 NO { g H CH; G„ H n NO { l c CH; C n H„ NO { * 



. CH ' 



Deoxymorphia. 



C 17 H 17 N0 



1 OH' 



so that deoxycodeia probably bears to codeia the same relation as free hy- 



CH 



clrogen, H 2 , to water, H. OH, or as acetic acid, qq 3 q-^-, to glycollic, 

 CH OH 



CO 2 'OH ' bromocodide corresponding similarly to hydrobromic acid, 

 HBr, or to bromacetic acid, 2 qjj« 



Experiments are in progress to gain further insight into the structure of 

 the group C 17 H 17 NO. By the action of hydriodic acid on codeia methyl 

 is eliminated as iodide, and the elements of free hydrogen and those of H I 

 are added on to this group ; from which, as well as from the easy poly- 

 merization to form tetracodeia bases, it appears probable that some at least 

 of the 17 carbon atoms are connected together somewhat after the 

 fashion of ethylene or acrylic acid, which unite readily with H I, H Br, 

 H 2 , &c. Again, the oxidizing action of AgN0 3 on chlorotetramorphia is 

 accompanied by the production of C0 2 , which renders it not improbable 

 that the third oxygen atom exists either as the group [CH(OH)]" or 

 as CO". 



On carefully examining, side by side, the qualitative reactions of the 



