664 
DE. A. MATTHIES SEN AND ME. G-. C. EOSTEE ON 
under a layer of paraffin at 100° C. Much chloride of methyl is given off, and a thick 
oily mass separates out on cooling, and when no further quantity is formed the reaction 
may be considered finished*'. 
The reaction which takes place may be written thus — 
C 22 H 23 N 0 7 +2 H Cl= C 20 H 19 N 0 7 + 2 C H 3 CL 
To purify the chloride, and to obtain the base from it, advantage is taken of the fact 
that it is comparatively insoluble in dilute hydrochloric acid, whereas in strong hydro- 
chloric acid as well as in pure water it dissolves readily. After the reaction is finished 
the contents of the flask are allowed to cool. The liquid portion (strongly acid) is 
poured into a large beaker, and the oily mass dissolved in hot water, allowed to cool, 
and then poured into the strongly acid solution. This causes a precipitate, and water 
or hydrochloric acid is added in case either produce a further precipitate. The preci- 
pitated chloride is collected on a filter and washed with dilute hydrochloric acid (1 part 
acid, 9 parts water) ; after washing, the precipitate is dissolved in water, and carbonate of 
sodium added in excess, in which the new base is soluble, but narcotine insoluble ; after 
filtering off any undecomposed narcotine, the solution is carefully neutralized with 
hydrochloric acid to precipitate the base, which becomes curdy on heating and may be 
filtered and washed with ease. After being well washed it is redissolved in hydro- 
chloric acid, and fractionally precipitated with carbonate of sodium. The first portion 
precipitated contained most of the colouring-matter ; the second portion was used for 
analysis. Dried at 100° C. in a Liebig’s drying tube, it gave the following results : — 
I. 0-3026 grm. gave 0-6766 carbonic acid and 0T354 grm. water. 
II. Q'3400 grm. gave 0-7488 carbonic acid and QT519 grm. water. 
III. 03698 grm. gave 0-8198 carbonic acid and 0T594 grm. water. 
IY. 0-4290 grm. gave 0-9535 carbonic acid and 0-1990 grm, water. 
Y. 0"3660 grm. gave 0-8170 carbonic acid and 0*1690 grm. water. 
YI. 0-5168 grm. gave 0-1218 platinum. 
YII. 0-6024 grm. gave 0*1422 platinum. 
Calculated. Eound. Mean. 
C 20 
240 
''S 
60-91 
r 
I. 
60-98 
II. 
60-06 
III. 
60-46 
IY. 
60-62 
Y. 
60-88 
YI. 
YII. ' 
60-60 
H 20 
20 
5-08 
4-97 
4-96 
4-79 
5-15 
5-13 
— 
— 
5-00 
N 
rv 
14 
120 
394 
3-55 
30-46 
100-00 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
3*34 
3-35 
3-35 
KJ 7i 
C 20 H 19 NO 7> i a T 
* Erom two to six days are required for the completion of the reaction ; it appears that the larger the quan- 
tities employed the shorter the time necessary for conversion. In an experiment made with the above quanti- 
ties, the whole of the narcotine was converted into the new base in three days (£. e. in about twenty-four hours), 
whereas in another experiment made with 50 grms. narcotine and 250 cub. centims. hydrochloric acid the time 
required was six days.- 
