April 8,1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
805 
of the same material. In the interior is a spirit- 
lamp, and two tin pans, one for the reception of sul¬ 
phur, the other for carbolic acid. 
The method of using it with sulphur is to place 
one of the pans, containing some of that article, upon 
the rests provided for it, and ignite ; the fumes will 
readily diffuse themselves. The combustion of this 
substance is accelerated if the spirit-lamp or a night- 
light is burnt beneath it. 
Carbolic acid can be used in the same manner as 
sulphur, but either the lamp or a night-light must 
be burnt; it is best applied in the undiluted form. 
The advantages of this apparatus are, that it does 
away with the necessity of sprinkling, and causes a 
more general diffusion of vapour, thus attacking the 
floating germs and purifying the atmosphere. It 
can be placed between bedding with perfect safety, 
and there is no occasion for the patient’s removal 
while this is being done. It is well suited for deo¬ 
dorizing rooms, closets, hospitals, veliicles, and all 
purposes for which disinfection is required, being 
clean, simple, and efficient in its action. 
Another use to which it may be applied is that of 
a child’s food warmer. If a night-light be lit and 
placed in the interior, a tea-saucer or other vessel 
containing the food, placed over it, will keep warm 
until the light has burnt out. 
M0RPHI0METRIC METHODS COMPARED. 
BY WILLIAM PROCTER, JUN. 
The question, “ What is the best process for 
assaying opium to determine its morphia strength, 
suited for adoption into the United States Pharma¬ 
copoeia ?” was accepted by the writer at the Chicago 
meeting. 
Reflection on the query suggests that it is not so 
much what is the best analytical process, as to de¬ 
cide what process is best suited for practical use by 
druggists and pharmaceutists in determining the 
morphia value of opium for the purposes of the 
Pharmacopoeia. Those who take the view that the 
process should embody the nicest and most refined 
manipulations of the analytical laboratory, may not 
accept this view; but when it is understood that a 
large majority of the persons needing its use are not 
analytical chemists, it is believed that simplicity, 
united to a fair degree of accuracy, is more avail¬ 
able than extreme accuracy, beyond the reach of 
most apothecaries, applied in a complex process. 
So many able chemists have published processes, 
some of which are well known in connection with 
their names,—as Staples’ process, Mohr’s, Guiller- 
mond’s, etc.,—that the ground would appear to be 
well examined. The process of Staples is that of 
the United States Pharmacopoeia. Its point is in 
the employment of alcohol to retain the colouring 
matter in solution during the precipitation of the 
morphia, and in mixing the ammoniacal precipitant 
also with alcohol. The process of Mohr avails itself 
of the selective power of boiling lime-water to reject 
narcotina and retain morphia in solution. Both of 
these processes' extract' the opium with cold water. 
GuiUermond’s process employs alcohol of 71 per 
cent, to extract the opium, which is then precipitated 
by ammonia. The precipitate, as in Staples’ pro¬ 
cess, contains narcotina. 
One difficulty in extracting the portion of opium 
soluble in water is the caoutchoucoid matter which 
tends to resist its solvent action. The idea of em¬ 
ploying benzine, or light coal oil, to remove this as 
well as the free narcotina, has been suggested by 
Albert E. Ebert for auother purpose, and has been 
used b} T Dr. Fliickiger in his examination of opium. 
It is believed that the preliminary use of tins sol¬ 
vent in opium assays may be usefully adopted. 
Believing that the best way to arrive at a solu¬ 
tion of the query was to tiy several processes with 
the same solution of opium, a sample of nearly dry 
opium, weighing 300 grains, was triturated to coarse 
powder, and then rubbed with repeated portions of 
water until finely divided, and macerated in six 
times its weight of water for twelve hours, then per¬ 
colated on a filter until the washings were nearly 
colourless. The united liquids (amounting to 4500 
grains) were divided into three equal portions, each 
representing 100 grains of opium. 
No. 1.—The solution was evaporated with mode¬ 
rate heat to half a fluid ounce, mixed with an equal 
bulk of alcohol (sp. gr. 835), filtered through a small 
filter, and the latter washed with a little diluted 
alcohol. 50 minims of solution of ammonia (sp. gr. 
960) was mixed with 2 fluid drachms of alcohol. 
One-half of this was added to the alcoholic solution 
of opium with agitation, and allowed to stand six 
hours, when the remainder of the ammonia was 
mixed in, and the vessel permitted to rest for twenty- 
four hours. The crystalline matter deposited on the 
interior of the vial being detached, the contents 
were at intervals poured on a small tared filter, and 
the crude morphia washed, first with diluted alcohol 
and then with water, dried at 120°, and weighed. 
The product was 9'75 grains. This was treated 
several times with boiling non-alcoholic ether, and 
the ethereal solution, evaporated in a small tared cap¬ 
sule, gave 0'31 grain of crystalline prisms, equivalent 
to 0'31 per cent, of narcotina, and 9'44 per cent, of 
morphia in the opium examined. 
No. 2.—This portion was treated with solution of 
subacetate of lead till it ceased to be precipitated, 
the precipitate separated on a filter and well washed, 
the filtrate treated with diluted sulphuric acid by 
drops to separate the excess of lead as sulphate, and 
filtered. The clear solution by moderate heat is re¬ 
duced to half a fluid ounce, mixed with its bulk of 
alcohol, filtered, and the filtrate mixed with 50 grains 
of solution of ammonia containing alcohol, in two 
portions added half an hour apart, and allowed to 
stand twenty-four hours. The morphia was depo¬ 
sited in large distinct crystals, very few of which 
were attached to the interior of the vessel. They 
were collected on a filter, washed with diluted alco¬ 
hol and water, dried, and weighed 8'75 grains. 
This, repeatedly boiled in ether and the ethereal 
liquids evaporated, afforded but a trace of crystalline 
matter, too small to weigh and yet distinctly visible 
in minute prisms. 
No. 3.—This was mixed with 60 grains of lime, 
previously hydrated and boiled for fifteen minutes, 
the decoction filtered hot from the dregs, and these 
well washed with hot water. The filtrate, slightly 
acidulated with muriatic acid, was evaporated to 
half a fluid ounce, mixed with its bulk of alcohol 
and filtered; an excess of alcoholic ammonia was 
added and mixed, and the vessel set aside for 
twenty-four hours. The coloured crystalline powder 
and the portion attached as a crust to the interior 
were carefully collected on a filter, washed, dried 
