ON  THE  MORPHIA  SALTS  OF  COMMERCE. 
69 
On  precipitating  a  solution  of  100  grains  of  hydrochlorate 
of  morphia  from  each  of  the  three  specimens,  the  results  were 
as  follows  : — 
No.  1.    Precipitate,  colored  yellow,  and  pulverent  (dried  at  212°)  79-7. 
No.  2.    Pearly  white,  crystalline  76.7. 
No.  3.    Less  white,  less  crystalline  74*3. 
These  precipitates  were  entirely  soluble  in  a  solution  of  caus- 
tic potash ;  and  were  scarcely  acted  upon  by  anhydrous  ether. 
100  grains  of  acetate  of  morphia  from  each  of  three  speci- 
mens were  subjected  to  a  temperature  of  212°,  and  lost  as  fol- 
lows : — 
No.  1.    100  grains.    Weight  after  drying,  95  grains  :  loss,  5  grains. 
No.  2.    100  grains.  "  "  90  grains  ;  loss,  10  grains. 
No.  3.    100  grains.  u  "  87*4  grains  :  loss,  12-6. 
No.  1,  on  applying  the  heat  of  water  bath,  became  dark- 
colored,  fused  into  a  colored  mass,  and  finally  lost  its  structure. 
No.  2  on  applying  a  similar  heat,  became  partially  fused  and 
dark-colored,  but  scarcely  lost  its  structure. 
No.  3,  retained  its  pulverent  form  throughout  the  process. 
On  an  examination  being  made  of  the  precipitates  by  ammo- 
nia from  the  hydrochlorate  of  morphia,  they  proved  to  be  mor- 
phia in  a  high  degree  of  purity,  perfectly  soluble  in  caustic  pot- 
ash, scarcely  acted  upon  by  ether,  and  almost  entirely  free  from 
codeia,  as  was  also  the  mother-liquor  from  which  they  had  been 
precipitated. 
On  a  review  of  these  experiments,  it  will  be  observed  that  the 
three  samples  of  hydrochlorate  of  morphia  contained  varying 
proportions  of  water,  and  varying  quantities  of  the  alkaloid  in 
like  proportion, — that  which  was  the  least  soluble,  No.  1,  hav- 
ing the  largest  proportion  of  the  alkaloid ;  that  which  was  most 
so,  containing  the  largest  proportion  of  water,  as  in  No.  3  ;  the 
difference  between  No.  1  and  No.  3  being  equal  to  nearly  five 
per  cent,  of  water,  and  nearly  five  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  alka- 
loid. The  codeia  appeared  in  each  specimen  to  have  been  care- 
fully separated.  The  range  of  moisture  in  the  acetate  was  a 
little  wider  than  in  the  hydrochlorate,  the  loss  in  No.  1  being 
five  per  cent.,  whilst  that  in  No.  3  was  about  twelve  and  a  half 
per  cent. 
I  regret  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  carry  out  this  investigation 
