346 
Notes  on  Opium  Assaying. 
Aid.  Jour.  Pharm 
July,  1»97. 
carbonate  derived  from  calcium  meconate,  and  to  which  the  ash  is 
calculated  by  the  use  of  factors  (4-55  for  calcium  oxide  and  2-56  for 
calcium  carbonate),  despite  the  fact  that  considerable  potassium 
carbonate  is  present  (which  should  require  a  different  factor),  and 
disregarding  entirely  that  the  sulphates  and  phosphates  of  the 
metals  present  sustain  comparatively  little  loss  by  ignition  (the 
factor  for  which  cannot  be  foretold),  the  result  being  that  the 
correction  based  entirely  upon  the  weight  of  the  ash  will  be  too 
high  unless  counterbalanced  by  the  presence  of  foreign  organic 
matter,  an  assumption  which  cannot  be  proven  at  the  present  time. 
A  number  of  comparisons  of  the  lime-water  and  ash  methods 
have  been  published  and  agreed  very  well.  Any  difference  between 
the  corrections  could  be  allowed  for  from  the  above  statements.  In 
May,  1896,  Mr.  L.  F.  Kebler  published  in  the  American  Journal 
of  Pharmacy  a  series  of  comparisons  in  which  some  new  possibili- 
ties were  brought  forward.  Of  the  seventeen  samples  reported,  one 
yielded  no  ash  and  no  correction  by  either  method  ;  one  the  same 
correction  by  both  methods ;  seven  a  higher  correction  by  the  lime- 
water  method  with  the  percentage  of  ash  normal,  i.  e.,  below  either 
correction ;  five  a  higher  correction  by  the  ash  method,  with  the 
percentage  of  ash  normal ;  and  three. a.  higher  correction  by  the  ash 
method,  with  the  percentage  of  ash  abnormal,  i.  e.t  greater  than  the 
lime-water  correction.  To  explain  these  results  it  must  be  admitted 
that  in  some  cases  there  is  an  ash-yielding  substance  which  is  solu- 
ble in  lime-water,  whilst  in  other  cases  there  must  be  present  some 
organic  impurity  which  is  not  soluble  in  lime-water,  and  of  course 
yields  no  ash. 
While  not  one  of  these  methods  of  correction  can  be  considered 
satisfactory,  the  writer  has  given  preference  to  the  lime-water 
method  as  involving  on  the  one  hand  less  change  during  the  man- 
ipulation, and  on  the  other  hand  because  of  the  easier  filtration  of 
the  solution,  and  the  possible  reprecipitation  of  the  morphine ;  care 
must  be  taken,  by  keeping  the  funnel  covered  with  a  watch-glass  to 
prevent  the  formation  of  calcium  carbonate  if  working  near  a  flame. 
In  the  assays  to  be  detailed,  the  lime-water  correction  was  used  ;  0-5 
gramme  of  the  well-mixed  crude  morphine  was  weighed  into  a 
flask  and  thoroughly  moistened  with  5  c.c.  lime-water  before  adding 
the  remaining  45  c.c.  ;  rotate  the  contents  of  flask  repeatedly  during 
half  an  hour,  and  then  filter  the  solution  through  counterbalanced 
