ON ACETATE OF MORPHIA. 
63 
charcoal which results, calcined in a platina spoon over the 
flame of a spirit lamp, burns without any residue. 
2d. Moistened with concentrated, sulphuric acid and a 
few drops of water, and a mild heat applied, causes vapours of 
weak acetic acid to be disengaged. 
3d. Concentrated nitric acid placed in contact with a small 
portion of this salt, gives to it immediately a blood-red color, 
which passes to the orange and afterwards to the yellow, but 
this phenomenon belongs also to another organic base and its 
compounds (Brucine.) 
4th. A character peculiar to morphia and its salts is, ac- 
cording to the curious observations of Serullas, that of decom- 
posing iodic acid dissolved in water. By placing in contact at 
the ordinary temperature, a solution of iodic acid with a single 
grain of acetate of morphia, the liquid becomes colored 
brownish red by the iodine set at liberty, developing immedi- 
ately the odor of the latter. 
The hundreth part of a grain is sufficient to produce a sen- 
sible effect, but to detect in this case the presence of iodine set 
at liberty, it is necessary to dissolve the salt in a few drops of 
solution of starch and add to it the iodic acid by means of a 
tube. 
The blue color which appears by the iodide of starch thus 
formed, clearly indicates the decomposition of the iodic acid. 
An effect not less sensible and more prompt is produced by 
placing a drop of solution of iodic acid upon paper coated su- 
perficially with the starch, and then placing some acetate of 
morphia upon the wetted spot, which, after a few seconds, 
will take a decidedly blue tint. 
5th. Upon moistening a small quantity of acetate of mor- 
phia with a solution of persulphate of iron or neutral chloride 
of iron, the mixture (according to M. Robinet.) takes a deep 
blue color which disappears by the addition of an acid. 
6th. The aqueous concentrated solution of morphia preci- 
pitates in white flocks by potash, soda, and ammonia, but an 
excess of these bases redissolves the precipitate if the solution 
is primitively diluted to some extent with water. The infu- 
