Am  Au0gU"'i8P78arm' }  Meconoisin,  a  New  Derivative  from  Opium.  391 
MECONOIOSIN,  A  NEW  DERIVATIVE  FROM  OPIUM, 
By  T  and  H.  Smith. 
In  the  final  isolation  of  meconin,  the  oleaginous-like  liquid  con- 
taining it,  upon  being  left  to  itself  for  some  days,  sets  into  a  mass  of 
crystals.  Those  crystals,  upon  being  drained,  and  cautiously  washed 
with  cold  weak  spirit,  are  to  be  boiled  in  a  large  quantity  of  water. 
The  filtered  liquid  gives  a  crystallization  of  meconin,  and  the  mother- 
liquor,  when  concentrated,  and  upon  being  set  aside  for  a  time,  yields 
beautiful  leaf-like  crystalline  masses  of  the  body  to  which  we  have 
given  the  name  of  Meconoiosin. 
This  remarkable  crystalline  form,  which,  in  its  impure  state,  is 
assumed  by  meconoiosin,  as  well  as  the  brown  color  of  the  crystals, 
enables  this  body  to  be  readily  distinguished  from  the  soft  and  nearly 
white  meconin,  which  crystallizes  along  with,  and  upon  it,  in  a  man- 
ner not  unlike  the  incrustation  of  minute  shells  upon  a  rock.  If  this 
meconin  be  now  removed,  the  meconoiosin,  by  means  of  a  few  crys- 
tallizations from  hot  water,  with  the  aid  of  charcoal,  may  be  obtained 
in  the  pure  state,  free  from  color. 
This  substance  is  especially  interesting  because  that  now,  in  it,  a 
second  chemically  indifferent  body  existing  in  opium  is  met  with. 
Hitherto  meconin  alone  has  been  distinguished  by  this  characteristic. 
Moreover,  the  respective  chemical  constitution  of  those  two  opium 
products  reveals  an  apparent  relation,  meconin  being  represented  by 
the  formula  C10H10O4,  and  meonoiosin  by  that  of  C8H10O2.  Both 
bodies  are  freely  solube  in  alcohol  and  ether,  but  as  regards  their  solu- 
bility in  water,  the  two  substances  present  a  striking  contrast.  Meco- 
nin is  very  slightly  soluble  in  cold  water;  and  in  boiling  wate  *,  unless 
in  the  proportion  of  about  1  in  50,  it  refuses  to  dissolve,  remaining  at 
the  bottom  of  the  liquid,  like  a  heavy  oil.  Meconoiosin,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  soluble  in  27  parts  of  cold  water,  while  in  boiling  water  it  is 
soluble  to  almost  any  extent,  forming  as  the  heat  rises,  and  before 
being  shaken  up,  a  syrupy  solution  at  the  bottom  of  the  liquid. 
We  have  not  yet  ascertained  the  boiling  point  of  meconoiosin,  but 
it  has  been  heated  to  28o°C.  without  boiling.     It  melts  at  88°C. 
When  heated  with  slightly  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  and  when  the 
evaporation  has  reached  a  certain  point,  meconin  produces  a  beautiful 
green  color.  With  meconoiosin,  under  the  same  circumstances,  the 
coloration  is  deep  red,  becoming  purple. 
