O71 Egyptian Opium. 
3 
rated by a filter of unsized paper, which was previously moist- 
ened with water. The resulting solution was of a dark colour, 
of a very bitter, and somewhat acrid taste, with the usual 
heavy, narcotic smell of opium, and having a specific gravity 
of 1.069, The dregs were again digested in eight fluid 
ounces distilled water, four days, and a solution produced 
much less coloured than the first, of specific gravity 1.031. 
Finally, the dregs were washed with four ounces of water, 
passed and repassed until they ceased to yield colour to that 
menstruum. 
The several solutions were mixed and evaporated by means 
of a water bath to the consistence of a soft extract. 
Upon redissolving the extract in distilled water, a slight 
turbidness was observable through the solution ; this was re- 
moved by filtration, and treated with boiling alcohol ; as it 
cooled there were deposited crystals free from colour, which 
dissolved slowly in nitric acid, giving it a yellow tinge, prov- 
ing it to be narcotine. 
To the solution of the watery extract, twelve fluid ounces 
of alcohol were now added, causing considerable turbidness ; 
five fluid drachms of water of ammonia, specific gravity .952, 
previously mixed with two fluid ounces of alcohol, were next 
added, and the whole agitated ; a brown precipitate, together 
with a small quantity of minute crystals gradually subsided, 
the mixture was allowed to remain undisturbed fifteen hours, 
when six drachms -more ammonia were added, mixed with 
alcohol as before, and the mixture again agitated. Allowing 
sufficient time to elapse for the formation of crystals, the 
liquor was decanted, the precipitate collected on a filter and 
carefully dried by a heat of about 65° ; it weighed 135 grains, 
a part of which was the colouring matter thrown down by 
the first addition of ammonia. The ammoniacal waters, 
upon standing a few days, deposited a fresh portion of crys- 
tals, weighing, when dried 22 grains. 
To free the morphia from colouring matter and other im- 
purities, the two precipitates were dissolved in dilute sulphuric 
acid ; animal charcoal, purified with hydrochloric acid, be- 
vag atfded, the whole was submitted to ebullition ; the filtered 
