Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Sept.,  1881.  j 
Conversion  of  Morphia  into  Codeia. 
467 
The  body  so  obtained  is  absolutely  identical  with  the  addition  pro- 
duct of  codeia  and  iodide  of  methyl,  with  which  it  has  been  carefully 
compared.  It  is  nearly  insoluble  in  alcohol.  It  is  soluble  in  boiling 
water,  from  which  it  separates  in  two  different  forms,  according  to 
the  conditions  of  crystallization  :  upon  cooling  slowly,  in  hard,  trans- 
parent, anhydrous,  rather  voluminous  crystals ;  upon  cooling  rapidly, 
in  fine  silky  needles  containing  water  of  crystallization. 
To  obtain  free  codeia  it  is  necessary  to  employ  one-half  the  above 
quantity  of  iodide  of  methyl.  In  exhausting  the  product  of  the 
reaction  with  ether,  codeia  is  removed,  but  the  yield  is  very  small ;  20 
grams  of  morphia  gave  only  2  grams  of  hydrochlorate  of  codeia.  In 
consequence  of  the  great  tendency  of  iodide  of  methyl  to  become 
.fixed  upon  alkaloids,  the  larger  portion  combines  with  the  morphia  to 
form  iodo-methylate  of  morphia-soda,  whilst  a  small  quantity  only 
reacts  by  double  decomposition.  It  is  easy  to  prove  that  this  is  what 
takes  place ;  for  after  having  removed  the  codeia  with  ether,  iodo- 
methylate  of  morphia  can  be  extracted  from  the  residue,  or  by  treat- 
ment with  a  fresh  quantity  of  iodide  of  methyl  it  may  be  converted 
into  iodo-methylate  of  codeia. 
The  codeia  was  .purified  by  the  .ordinary  process :  conversion  into 
-hydrochlorate,  decomposition  of  this  salt  by  potash  and  crystallization 
from  anhydrous  ether  or  dilute  alcohol. 
It  presented  then  all  the  characters  of  codeia  extracted  from  opium ; 
the  centesimal  composition,  the  fixed  melting  point  at  153°C.,  its  sol- 
ubility in  water,  alcohol  and  ether,  the  nature  of  the  salts  which  are 
precipitated  by  potash,  and  not  by  ammonia  or  the  alkaline  carbon- 
ates, and,  finally,  the  crystalline  form,  which  has  been  determined  by 
M.  Friedel. 
The  determination  of  the  rotatory  power  of  codeia  prepared  with 
morphia-soda  and  iodide  of  methyl  has  been  made  comparatively  with 
that  of  the  rotatory  power  of  codeia  extrac^ted  from  opium.  An  alco- 
holic solution  of  artificial  codeia,  1  in  77,  showed  with  a  length  of  22 
millimeters  a  deviation  to  the  left  of  3'7°,  which  would  be  equal  to  a 
molecular  rotatory  power  of  {a)^  =  — 130*34°.  Under  the  same  con- 
ditions natural  codeia  showed  a  left-handed  rotation  of  3*783°,  which 
gives  (a)„=  —133*18. 
The  small  quantity  of  material  operated  upon  did  not  allow  of 
greater  precision  being  attained ;  nevertheless  these  figures  are  suffi- 
