694  Determination  of  Morphine.        { A%Jc°tur^garm- 
that  morphine  tartrate  might  escape  detection  "  if  the  expert  trusted 
alone  to  the  usual  test  of  an  alkaloidal  salt  giving  a  precipitate  when 
the  solution  is  alkalized  by  the  fixed  or  volatile  alkalies ;  for  the  tar- 
trates of  morphine  do  not  give  this  reaction,  nor  do  they  give  any 
precipitate  with  calcic  chloride."  A  somewhat  similar  statement  is 
made  in  Allen's  "  Commercial  Organic  Analysis,"  4th  (American) 
edition,  Vol.  VI,  p.  378.  No  original  authority  is  quoted  on  the 
point  in  either  of  these  works.  On  the  other  hand,  the  British 
Pharmacopoeia  states  that  normal  morphine  tartrate  (Morphinae 
Tartras  B.  P.)  gives  the  usual  reactions  of  morphine  salts  and  of 
tartrates.  The  discrepancy  between  such  standard  works  of  ref- 
erence is  a  serious  one,  and  under  certain  circumstances  might  have 
unfortunate  results.  The  point  raised  has,  besides,  considerable 
theoretical  interest,  if  the  statements  of  Messrs.  Blyth  are  correct. 
It  is  shown  by  Experiment  22  that  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  is 
substantially  to  be  relied  on  in  this  matter,  and  that  the  assertions 
in  the  other  two  works  quoted  are  not  well  founded.  It  would  be 
interesting,  if  possible,  to  follows  these  errors  to  their  source. 
The  facts  above-mentioned  as  re-established  are  the  basis  of  the 
analytical  methods  to  be  described  in  Parts  II  and  III  of  this 
communication. 
Experimental  Data  on  the  Analytical  Behavior  of 
Morphine. 
Strength  of  ^  H2SO±  in  Terms  of  Crystallized  Morphine, 
C17H19N03-H20.  Experiment  1, — The  acid  used  was  standardized 
against  tartaric  acid  (Babington  and  Tingle,  Jour.  Soc.  Chem.  Ind., 
XXXVI,  203-204)  and  was  found  to  be  x^  X  1.0032.  The  crystal- 
lized morphine  was  purified  with  unusual  care.  After  weighing  it 
was  dissolved  in  a  measured  volume  of  acid,  and  the  solution  was 
titrated  against  standard  sodium  hydroxide,  lacmoid  being  the  in- 
dicator. 
Total  acid  used  =  25.00  Cc. 
Acid  equivalent  to  the  alkali  =  5.38  Cc. 
Acid  equivalent  to  the  morphine  =.  ig.62  Cc. 
Weight  of  morphine  used  =  0.6000  Gm. 
Consequently  1  Cc.  of  above  acid  =  0.03058  Gm.  of  morphine  or 
1  Cc.        acid  =  0.0304  Gm.  of  morphine,  while  theory  requires 
