598  Analytical  Researches  and  Investigations,  [^^'-^^^^{1^^^^' 
upon  the  addition  of  impure  chloroform  a  green  color.  The  liquid 
then  becomes  colorless  and  oxide  of  maganese  is  separated.  The  author- 
purifies  tlie  chloroform  by  dissolving  potassium  permanganate  in  the- 
smallest  possible  quantity  of  water,  adding  20  grams  of  caustic  potassa, 
and  mixing  this  solution  in  a  large  bottle  with  the  chloroform,  which 
is  a2:ilated  from  time  to  time.  After  some  hours  it  is  decanted,  and  a 
new  solution  added  until,  even  after  standing  for  some  hours,  the  red 
color  remains  permanent.  The  chloroform  is  then  poured  off,  deprived 
of  water  by  means  of  potassium  carbonate,  and  distilled. — Ibid.,  from 
Giorn.  Farm.  Chim.,  31,  p.  193. 
A  new  Reaction  of  Narceine.  By  C.  Arnold. — Upon  warming  a 
trace  of  narceine  with  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  concentrated  sulphu- 
ric acid  and  phenol  a  yellow,  and  then  a  brownish  color  is  obtained,, 
which,  when  the  phenol  begins  to  volatilize  assumes  a  fine  cherry  red,, 
permanent  upon  continued  heating,  and,  upon  the  addition  of  a  few 
drops  of  water  becomes  of  a  dirty  whitish-yellow.  Veratrine,  when 
treated  in  the  same  way,  gives  the  cherry-red  coloration  as  with  sulphu- 
ric acid,  alone,  resembling  very  much  that  of  narceine,  but  upon  the 
addition  of  water  becoming  of  a  canary-yellow  color.  Codeine  becomes 
at  first  of  a  dirty  reddish- violet,  and  upon  warming,  of  a  dirty-brown. 
Delphinine  at  first  brick-red,  and  upon  warming,  red-brown.  The 
reactions  of  the  sulphuric  acid-phenol  mixture  with  other  alkaloids  are 
not  very  characteristic. — Ibid,,  No.  47,  1882,  from  Rep.  an.  Ch.,  2,. 
p.  229. 
Estimation  of  Morphine  in  Opium. — The  Paris  Society  of  Pharmacy 
has  agreed  upon  the  following  method  for  the  valuation  of  opium :  15 
grams  of  the  opium  to  be  tested  are  intimately  mixed  with  9  grams  of" 
calcium  hydrate,  150  cubic  centimeters  of  water  gradually  added  with 
continued  trituration,  and  the  mixture  occasionally  agitated  for  half  an 
hour.  The  mixture  is  then  poured  upon  a  filter,  and  exactly  100 
cubic  centimeters  of  the  filtr'ate  brought  into  a  stoppered  glass  vessel. 
Twenty  cubic  centimeters  of  ether  are  now  added  and  agitated,  and,, 
after  dissolving  6  grams  of  powdered  chloride  of  ammonium  in  the 
liquid,  it  is  allowed  to  repose  for  two  hours.  The  ether  is  then 
decanted,  replaced  by  a  fresh  portion,  and  after  repeated  agitation, 
again  decanted.  The  precipitate  of  morphine  is  finally  collected  upon 
a  smooth  filter,  washed  with  a  few  cubic  centimeters  of  cold,  distilled 
water,  dried  and  weighed.  The  weight  of  the  dried  precipitate,  after- 
deducting  the  weight  of  the  filter,  when  multiplied  by  10,  represents- 
the  percentage  amount  of  morphine  in  the  opium. — Phar.  Zeitung^ 
No.  60,  1882,  from  Jour,  de  Pharm.  d' Alsace-Lorraine. 
