674 
DE. A. MATTHIESSEN AND ME. C. E. A. WEIGHT ON THE 
1*877 grm. of crystallized acid lost 0-1330 at 100°. 
Calculated. Pound. 
C 10 H 10 O 6 . . . 226 9?63 
H 2 0 ... 18 7-37 7-09 
C 10 H 10 0 6 + H 2 0 M4 100-00 
Opianic acid heated a few degrees above its melting-point (about 140° C.) loses mois- 
ture ; the residue left is insoluble in cold water and dilute alkalies, but slowly dissolves 
on boiling, yielding opianates ; it is nearly insoluble in cold alcohol, but little soluble in 
boiling alcohol ; from a hot solution it separates on cooling in small shining crystals. 
These, when analyzed, led to the formula C 40 H 38 0 19 , being apparently formed thus: 
4(C 10 H 10 O 5 ) = H 2 O + C 10 H 38 O 19 . 
The loss of weight on heating also confirms this reaction. 
2. Meconin . — Meconin is apparently unaffected by heating in presence of water under 
pressure. Attempts to oxidize it by the following reagents all yielded negative results, 
however the conditions of the experiment were varied : — 
Binoxide of manganese or bichromate of potassium and sulphuric acid. Permanga- 
nate of potassium, in acid and alkaline solutions. Binoxide of barium alone and with 
sulphuric acid. Ferric and platinic chlorides, &c. The action of nitrous acid gas on 
fused meconin gave rise only to the formation of nitro-meconin, which, when purified by 
recrytallization, gave the following numbers on analysis. 
I. 0-3940 grm. of substance, dried at 100°, gave 0-7350 carbonic acid and 0-1360 water. 
II. 0-3940 grm. of substance, dried at 100°, gave 0-7345 carbonic acid and 0-1260 water. 
III. Nitrogen determination by Liebig’s method gave the ratio of nitrogen to carbonic 
1 to -210. 
Calculated. 
Found. 
A 
r 
r I. 
II. 
Ci 0 . .... 
120 
50-21 
50-87 
50-84 
— 
H 9 . . . . 
9 
3-76 
3-83 
3-55 
— 
N .... 
14 
5-86 
— 
— 
5-81 
0 6 .... 
96 
40T7 
— 
— 
— 
C 10 H 9 (NO 2 )O 4 
239 
100-00 
The physical properties of this nitromeconin were carefully compared with those of 
nitromeconin prepared by the action of nitric acid on meconin, and found identical ; in 
each case, however, there were found some slight differences from those usually ascribed 
to this substance (Gerhardt, iv. p. 82). Thus it was found to be almost insoluble in 
cold water, and only slightly soluble in boiling water, alcohol, ether, ammonia, potash, 
and soda ; acids caused no alteration in the alkaline solution ; aqueous and alcoholic 
solutions were not changed by ferrous, ferric, or cupric solutions : 
Instead of: soluble in water, alcohol, and ether; very soluble in ammonia and alka- 
