1889 - 90 .] Mr Dott and Dr Stockman on Morphine. 
349 
able fall of heart-rate and respiration, salivation and a tendency to 
diarrhoea. The narcosis was by no means deep. Larger doses, of 
2 and 5 centigrammes, caused symptoms very similar to what Cl. 
Bernard has described as occurring in dogs after codeine. 
Benzoylmo rphine. 
This body was originally prepared by the action of benzoyl 
chloride on morphine. The process has the disadvantage in that, 
if an excess of alkaloid be used, there is apt to be a very small yield 
of the desired product, while, on the other hand, if excess of benzoyl 
chloride be employed, there is sure to be formation of a certain 
amount of dibenzoylmorphine. It occurred to us that the method 
which succeeded with alkyl chlorides might also be applied with 
chlorides of acid radicals. Accordingly 30 grms. of morphine were 
dissolved in alcohol with 4 grms. of caustic soda, and 14 grms. of 
benzoyl chloride added. The mixture was allowed to stand in the 
cold for twelve hours, then heated to boiling and evaporated. Water 
and a little sodium carbonate were added to the residue, the mixture 
shaken up with chloroform, filtered, and the chloroform separated 
and evaporated. The residue so obtained was purified by crystal- 
lisation from hot alcohol. From the product a chloroplatinate was 
prepared and dried at 130°. Of this *373 grin, gave *0605 grm. 
Pt. = 16-22 per cent. 
2[Ci 7 H 18 (C 7 H 5 0)N0 3 .HCl]PtCl 4 = 16-48 per cent. Pt. 
The base gives no blue coloration with ferric chloride. As 
observed in the air-bath, it fused at 168° C. When converted into 
hydrochloride, the strong aqueous solution showed no signs of 
crystallisation even after several days. From these results it is 
evident that the above method of double decomposition proceeds 
with benzoyl chloride as it does with methyl chloride. 
Physiological Action of Benzoylmorphine. 
The physiological action of this substance has not been previously 
investigated. After a few experiments it became evident to us 
that the action is practically identical with that of acetylmorphine. 
In frogs 5 milligrms. caused a slight degree of narcosis, followed 
by increase of reflexes. One centigrm. induced marked narcosis, 
