XXIV. Researches into the Chemical Constitution of Narcotine, and of its Products of 
Decomposition. — Part IV. By Augustus Matthiessen, F.R.S., Lecturer on Che- 
mistry in St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London, and C. R. A. Weight, B.Sc. Lond. 
Received February 18, — Read March 18, 1869. 
It has been shown that when narcotine is treated with hydrochloric and hydriodic acids, 
chloride or iodide of methyl and a series of new bases are formed homologous with nar- 
cotine, each containing CH 2 less than the preceding one ; thus : 
Ordinary narcotine or trimethyl-nornarcotine . . C 19 II 14 (CH 3 ) 3 N0 7 
Dimethyl-nornarcotine C 19 H J5 (CH 3 ) 2 N0 7 
Monomethyl-nornarcotine C 19 H 16 (CH 3 ) N0 7 
Nornarcotine C 19 H 17 N0 7 . 
In order to gain further insight into the constitution of these bases, endeavours were 
made to study their decompositions under the influence of reagents known to act upon 
narcotine ; the unsatisfactory nature of the results thus obtained led to the trial of new 
reactions, the effects of which were first studied upon ordinary narcotine. 
In the majority of cases the results were, however, extremely unsatisfactory, owing to 
the tendency of these bases to yield either tarry or humus-like uncrystallizable products. 
When ordinary narcotine is treated with oxidizing agents such as binoxide of manga- 
nese and sulphuric acid, or bichromate of potassium and sulphuric acid, nitric acid, or 
platinic chloride, it takes up an atom of oxygen and splits up into opianic acid and 
cotarnine ; it was hoped that under similar circumstances the new bases w'ould undergo 
analogous decompositions, yielding bodies homologous with these two products; in 
nearly every case, however, for the reasons above stated, the bodies produced could not 
be isolated in sufficient quantity and purity for examination and analysis. Before stating 
the results of the few experiments, which are of a positive character, it may be as well 
to mention those obtained with ordinary narcotine. 
§ I. Decompositions of Ordinary Narcotine. 
1. Action of Water. — When narcotine is submitted to the action of water, either 
by boiling in open vessels or by heating to above 100° C. in sealed tubes, it splits up into 
meconin and cotarnine, 
C 22 H 23 N0 7 = C 10 H 10 0 4 + C 12 H 13 no 3 . 
This reaction takes place much more readily under the latter circumstances. 
Owing to the ease with which cotarnine itself is thus decomposed, it is somewhat dif- 
ficult to obtain it in a sufficiently pure state for analysis; hence, when this is the object 
