596 
CRYPTOPIA, A NEW ALKALOID DISCOVERED IN OPIUM. 
horny shavings, which by continued heat become short and brittle; but if the 
heat of evaporation be only about 100° F., it crystallizes in flattened, striated 
tufts, radiating very prettily from a centre or taking fringe-like forms, and 
gives about of its previous weight. 
In the gelatinous state the muriate of cryptopia behaves somewhat eccentri¬ 
cally, sometimes retaining this condition for an indefinite period, and at other 
times running into crystalline knots, which are then seen floating in a clear 
watery liquid. The muriate of cryptopia, and also, we have reason to believe, 
its other salts, has a character which peculiarly distinguishes it from the mu¬ 
riates of the other opium alkalies: for instance, if the muriate of morphia or 
codeia be dissolved in a quantity of hot water, such as to give a crystallization 
of the salt on cooling, if the resulting salt be dried by the use of bibulous paper 
and exposure to a gentle heat, the bulk of the salt hardly changes, and remains 
in a state loose and easily broken up ; with muriate of cryptopia the result is 
very different, the crystalline mass gradually shrinks, and by the time of com¬ 
plete desiccation it is found to be quite tough, and diminished in bulk to an 
extraordinary degree ; if, on the contrary, the liquid be removed by means of a 
strong press, the resulting cake is tough like parchment, so as to be powdered 
with very great difficulty. We have not observed this character in any other 
salt of the opium alkalis. The crystallization of muriate of cryptopia, while 
lying in the liquid from which it had crystallized, is sometimes exceedingly 
beautiful, but on being slowly dried up, its crystalline appearance almost ceases 
to be seen by the naked eye ; but may be again easily brought out by moistening 
the mass for a short time with hot water ; the effect is very striking. 
Under various circumstances this salt yields very fine crystals, but very dif¬ 
ferent both in form and appearance from those produced in the last mother- 
liquids of the muriate of thebaia, in which it was first observed by the manager 
of our chemical works, Mr. J. Smiles, who drew our attention to the beautifully 
light, delicate, floating, leaf-like, and silky crystallization which it presented. 
This was so diff.^rent in appearance from that of any other opium products with 
which we had hitherto been acquainted, that we felt assured of the novelty of 
the substance. It may not be uninteresting to remark, that in addition to its 
beautiful appearance, the new substance presented a feature which has been a 
characteristic of narceine alone of all the other principles of opium, that, namely, 
of crystallizing nearly colourless out of an almost black liquid. The muriate of 
cryptopia is much less soluble in water than the muriate of morphia. A satu¬ 
rated solution of the former gives only nine grains on the evaporation of a fluid 
ounce, while the same quantity of a like solution of the latter gives three times 
as much. The solubility of the two salts is reversed when spirit is used as the 
solvent, showing that muriate of cryptopia is more soluble in spirit of wine than 
muriate of morphia. 
Cryptopia is colourless and odourless; its salts have a taste at first bitter, 
but the bitterness is soon followed by a peculiar coolness, w'hich spreads over 
the tongue and palate, as if there had been an addition of some peppermint. 
It leaves no ash when burnt. Heated in a glass tube it remains without ap¬ 
parent change till the heat rises to about 400° F. ; it then melts into a liquid 
which, on raising the heat, assumes a dark colour ; on cooling it becomes solid 
at about 340° F., and, according to the quicker or slower cooling forms a 
splintered resinous-like layer, or draws into lichen-like tufts, which show a 
radiated crystalline structure when examined by means of a lens. When cryp¬ 
topia is gradually heated to redness in a closed glass tube, it melts, blackens, 
gives off* a watery vapour, which condenses on the cold sides of the tube; 
whitish-yellow vapours make their appearance, but quickly disappear; and, 
although there is a creeping up in the tube of an oily liquid, there is nothing to 
indicate sublimation. The liquid condensed in the tube at once turns reddened 
