ON PAPAVERINE. 
259 
ART. LX. — ON PAPAVERINE. 
By G. Merck. 
The name papaverine has been assigned by the author 
to the new and well-characterized alkaloid discovered by 
him some short time ago in opium. According to the fol- 
lowing investigation, its composition is represented by 
O°H 21 N0 8 . 
It is obtained by precipitating the aqueous extract of 
opium with soda, exhausting the precipitate with alcohol, 
and evaporating to dryness the brown tincture obtained. 
The residue is treated with dilute acid, the liquid filtered 
and precipitated by ammonia, when a resinous matter is 
obtained which contains the papaverine. 
To procure it in a pure state, the resinous matter is dis- 
solved in dilute muriatic acid, and mixed with acetate of 
potash. Another resinous precipitate is obtained, which 
after being washed with water is treated with boiling 
ether. From this solution the papaverine crystallizes on 
cooling. 
This alkaloid may be prepared in a still more simple 
manner from the first dry resin. When mixed with its 
weight of alcohol, a smeary syrupy mass is formed, which 
on standing for several days at a temperature of SS°- F. 
congeals to a paste of crystals. This is strongly pressed, 
and purified by recrystallization from alcohol and digestion 
with animal charcoal. The papaverine is treated with 
hydrochloric acid, to remove some narcotine which it still 
contains, and set aside to crystallize, when the sparingly- 
soluble readily-crystallizable hydrochlorate of papaverine 
separates, and the whole of the narcotine can now be re- 
moved by washing with cold water. 
Papaverine separates from alcohol in a confused tissue of 
white acicular crystals, which are sparingly soluble in cold 
alcohol and ether, dissolve more abundantly on the applu 
