1869.] 



Hydrochloric Acid on Codeia. 



85 



yellow precipitate permanent in the air, but decomposed when heated to 

 100° in a moist state; dried several days over sulphuric acid, 05380 

 gramme gave 0*1000 metallic platinum. 



per cent. 



Found 18-60 



The formula (C M H^, CI N0 2 , HCl) a PtCl 4 requires 18-81 



The codeia salt requiring 19'50 



From these numbers it appears that the new base is formed from codeia 

 by the replacement of an atom of hydroxy! by one of chlorine, thus — 



Codeia. New base. 



C l9 H 21 N0 3 + HCl=H(HO) + C 15 H w CI XO a . 



H \ 



If codeia be regarded as being formed on the mixed type g 3 q, then the 



" H "V 



new base may be looked upon as formed on the mixed type ; auul , 



using Professor Foster's nomenclature* for these types (viz. oxy nitride and 

 chloronitride respectively), codeia would be oxycodide, and the new base 

 chlorocodide ; but until further investigation affords some knowledge of the 

 nature of the radicals occurring in codeia and morphia, it would be prema- 

 ture to attempt to give rational formulae for these bases. 



The following Table (p. 86) exhibits the comparative reactions of solu- 

 tions containing 1 per cent, of the hydrochiorates of morphia, codeia, 

 apomorphia, and chlorocodide respectively. 



The physiological action of chlorocodide appears to be much less marked 

 than that of apomorphia. Doses of | grain of the hydrochlorate taken 

 internally and y 0 grain injected subcutaueously produced no appreciable 

 effect ; Dr. Gee is now engaged in studying this subject. 



§ 2. Action 0/ Hydrochloric Acid on Chlorocodide. 

 When the hydrochlorate of this base is sealed up with eight to fifteen 

 times its weight of strong hydrochloric acid and heated to 140°— 1 50 D for 

 three hours, the tube is found, after cooling, to contain a layer of liquid 

 chloride of methyl floating at the top : the tarry contents of the tube, when 

 dissolved in' water and precipitated by bicarbonate of sodium, yield, on 

 shaking up the ethereal extract with a few drops of hydrochloric acid, a 

 copious supply of crystals of hydrochlorate of apomorphia ; these, when 

 drained from the mother liquors, washed with cold water, and recrystallized, 

 had all the physical properties of the hydrochlorate of apomorphia from 

 morphia, gave the same qualitative reactions, and produced the same phy- 

 siological effects, and gave the following numbers on analysis after drying 

 at 100°:— 



(I.) 0-3090 gramme, burnt with lead chromate, gave 0 7595 carbonic 

 acid and 0 1 740 water. 



(II.) 0-4030 gramme, burnt with lime, gave 0-1910 silver chloride. 



* Watta's Dictionary, vol. iv. p. 124. 



