496 
THE  MORPHIA  SALTS  OF  COMMERCE. 
a  number  was  better  than  multiplying  or  dividing  by  ten.  He 
concluded  by  proposing  the  use  of  the  American  system,  modified 
to  meet  the  requirements  and  customs  of  the  English." — JProc. 
Brit.  Phar m.  Conf. 
THE  MORPHIA  SALTS  OF  COMMERCE. 
By  Mr.  W.  E.  Heathfield.* 
The  inquiries  of  the  author  had  been  directed  to  the  amount 
of  moisture  existing  in  these  salts,  and  also  to  the  question  as  to 
whether  codeia  was  present  in  them. 
Three  samples  of  hydrochlorate  from  different  manufacturers 
had  been  examined,  and  found  to  contain,  respectively,  5*8  and 
9*8  per  cent,  of  water,  estimated  by  drying  at  212°.  The 
amount  of  alkaloid  obtained  from  each  of  the  above  (dried  at 
212°)  was  T'9'7,  76*7,  and  74-3,  the  quantities  thus  varying  in- 
versely as  the  amount  of  water. 
It  was  noticed  that  the  samples  containing  the  most  moisture 
dissolved  more  readily  in  water,  and  their  solutions  were  less 
colored  than  those  which  were  originally  drier. 
Three  samples  of  acetate  were  then  examined  in  a  similar  way, 
and  found  to  contain  respectively  5,  10,  and  12*6  per  cent,  of 
moisture.  It  was  found  that  the  sample  containing  least  water 
fused  and  became  dark-colored,  with  loss  of  structure  on  appli- 
cation of  a  water  bath  heat,  while  that  containing  the  most  water 
retained  its  pulverulent  form  unaltered  at  that  temperature. 
The  morphia  precipitated  from  these  samples  was  found  to  be 
remarkably  pure,  being  perfectly  soluble  in  caustic  potash,  scarce- 
ly acted  on  by  ether,  and  almost  entirely  free  from  codeia,  as 
were  also  the  mother  liquors  from  which  they  were  separated. 
The  author  also  quoted  experiments  by  Mr.  How,  to  show  that, 
however  feasible  the  conversion  of  morphia  into  codeia  might  ap- 
pear on  a  comparison  of  their  formulae,  it  could  not  be  carried 
out ;  a  substance  isomeric  with  codeia  had  been  obtained,  but  it 
was  by  no  means  identical. — Chemical  News, 
*  Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
