1889 - 90 .] Mr Dott and Dr Stockman on Morphine. 
359 
until the iodide of methylcodeium was formed (C 18 H 21 N0 3 CH 3 I). 
It is not very soluble in water, and was decomposed by treatment 
with sulphate of silver, when iodide of silver was thrown down, and 
the easily soluble sulphate of methylcodeium was left in solution. 
After purification and several recrystallisations it was obtained in 
the form of large colourless crystals. It is an addition compound, 
the sulphate of methyl being simply added on to codeine. 
Physiological Action of Methyl-Codeium Sulphate. 
The only experiments which have been previously made with 
this substance are those of Crum Brown and Fraser who worked 
with the iodide and the sulphate. With the iodide of methyl- 
codeium (a tolerably soluble salt) they saw no symptoms in 
rabbits after 5 grains subcutaneously, while 10 and 15 grs. caused 
some degree of paralysis, followed by recovery in a few hours, and 
20 grs. was fatal in 13 minutes. W 7 ith the sulphate, 4 grains 
subcutaneously had no effect, while 8 grs. caused some degree of 
paralysis, and 10 grs. death in 19 minutes. 
On frogs four experiments were performed : two of these with 
2 and 2J grs. iodide of methyl-codeium and two with 1 gr. 
sulphate. In all the result was death, preceded by paralysis. The 
paralysis commenced in from 11 to 21 minutes after administration, 
and in no case was the duration of the symptoms or the time of 
death observed. They sum up thus: “We learn from our experi- 
ments that the iodide and sulphate of methyl-codeium have a very 
different action from codeia. We have never observed any hyp- 
notic effect follow their administration, and, in place of convulsions, 
we have seen that they produce paralysis. This, indeed, is the 
only marked symptom that follows their administration, and it is 
apparent that it does not depend on an effect on the muscles nor 
on the cerebral lobes.” They conclude that it is due to an action on 
the terminations of motor nerves. 
These conclusions, however, as we shall presently show, are 
drawn from experiments made with very large doses, doses which 
(especially in frogs) were much too large to show clearly any effects 
except those resulting from paralysis of motor nerves. Our experi- 
ments with sulphate of methyl-codeium have shown us that the 
addition of methyl sulphate to codeine does not alter the action of 
