414 
Quinine  lodate  (ind  Br  ornate. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pilar  m. 
(    August,  1882. 
nation  with  another  substance  in  the  salt  in  question.  However,  in 
my  recent  operations  I  have  obtained  results  corresponding  strictly 
with  the  formula  C\7Hi/CH3)2N03,HCl  +  2H20. 
The  hydrochlorate  of  the  /5-methyl-morphine  (dimethylmorphine) 
dissolves  in  pure  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  with  a  coffee-brown  color, 
which,  however,  soon  passes  into  dark  violet.  In  this  it  distinctly 
differs  from  the  hydrochlorate  of  the  codeine  prepared  from  opium, 
which  gives  a  colorless  solution  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  may  remark  with  respect  to  the  liydrochlorate 
of  the  synthetically  prepared  codeine  that  it  not  unfrequently  dissolves 
in  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  with  a  faint  brow^nish  or  violet  color. 
This  reaction  is  nevertheless  not  characteristic  of  this  substance,  but  is 
due  to  an  admixture  of  di methylated  morphine. 
The  two  methyl  ethers  are  consequently  two  well  characterized  sub- 
stances, the  relations  of  which  to  morphine  Avill  be  clearly  seen  from 
the  following  : 
Morphine,        .  .  .  .       Cj-HnNO  [ 
Monomethyl  MoriDhine,  .  .  )  < 
a-Methyl-Morphine,       .  .  .      \  CnHnNO  X^^rr 
Codeine,    ^  .  .  .  J  lULJig 
Dimethyl-morphine,     =  .  •     )  p  -u-         ^  O^Hg 
/?-Methyl-morphine,  .  .  j    i'-^^'^^  ^  \  OCH3 
— Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  June  17,  1882. 
QUININE  lODATE  and  BROMATE,  axd  the  PHYSIOLO- 
GICAL ACTIVITY  OF  SUPEROXIDIZED  MOLECULES. 
By  Charles  A.  Cameron,  M.D. 
Read  before  the  Medical  Society  of  the  King  and  Queen's  CoUege  of  Physicians,  Wed- 
nesday, May  3,  1882. 
The  researches  of  Arthur  Gamgee,  Priestley  and  Larmnth  have 
shown  that  the  three  forms  of  phosphoric  acid  and  of  vanadic  acid  have 
very  different  degrees  of  physiological  activity.  The  salts  of  ortho- 
phosphoric  acid  are  almost  inert  when  their  bases  are  inactive,  whilst 
the  pyrophosphates  and  metaphosphates  are  poisonous.  The  orthova- 
nadic  acid  is  poisonous,  but  pyrovanadic  acid  and  metavanadic  acid  are 
still  more  poisonous. 
The  high  physiological  activity  (^f  the  pyro-  and  metaphosphates  has 
been  attributed  to  the  unsaturated  condition  of  their  nuclei.  These 
salts  are  not  statical,  for  they  can  take  up  additional  basic  material. 
Eor  example,  calcium  metaphosphate  can  combine  with  two  molecules 
