CHEMICAL CONSTITUTION OF NARCOTINE. 
675 
lies, producing a red coloration ; precipitable by acids from alkaline solution ; its solu- 
tions yielding a precipitate with salts of iron and copper. 
Attempts to form dinitromeconin were fruitless. Addition of sodium to fused meco- 
nin causes a copious evolution of hydrogen. The resulting compound when put into 
water reforms meconin and caustic soda. 
3. Hemipinic Acid . — When hemipinic acid, dried at 100°, is heated, it melts at about 
175°, and if kept at that temperature loses water; at higher temperatures the mass 
becomes slightly coloured, and at about 300° carbonic acid and aromatic vapours are 
evolved. The reaction occurring at 175°-180° is 
Cio H 10 0 6 = H 2 O + C 10 H 8 0 5 . 
The body produced, which may be considered hemipmic anhydride, may be crystal- 
lized unaltered from absolute alcohol ; after drying at 100° these crystals were analyzed. 
10 grms. hemipinic acid lost at 175°-180° 0*791 grm. 
Calculated. 
Found. 
Cio H 8 0 5 . 
. 208 
92*04 
— 
h 2 o . 
CO : 
r“H 
7*96 
7*91 
CioH 10 0 6 . 
. 226 
100*00 
0*3050 grm. of anhydride gave 0*6450 carbonic acid and 0*1120 water. 
Calculated. 
^ 
Found. 
Cio • • • 
. 120 
57*69 
57*67 
Hg . . . 
8 
3*85 
4*08 
0 5 ... 
oo 
o 
38*46 
— 
Cio Hg 0 5 . 
. 208 
100*00 
If the anhydride be dissolved in alcohol containing a little water (ordinary spirit of 
about 90 per cent, alcohol), ethyl-hemipinic acid is formed ; boiled with water it reforms 
hemipinic acid. 
As formerly observed, ethyl-hemipinic acid may likewise be formed by passing dried 
hydrochloric acid gas into a solution of hemipinic acid (dried at 100°) in absolute 
alcohol ; the substances prepared by these two methods are identical in physical pro- 
perties, each having a strong tendency to separate from a hot aqueous solution on 
cooling in oily drops, and sometimes in feathery crystals containing half a molecule of 
water of crystallization. 
Of these crystals 4*825 grms. lost at 100° 0*1870 grm. 
Calculated. Found. 
C 12 H 14 0g . . 254 96*57 
±H 2 O . . 9 3*43 
Ci 2 H 14 0 6 + . 263 
100*00 
3*87 
