ON INDIA OPIUM. 
143 
It is almost useless to look for codeia or ?iarceia, owing to 
their minute proportion, in the fluid, by this process. The 
gum may be precipitated by strong alcohol, but it is seldom 
desirable to take the trouble of this step. 
The solid mass A. 2 consists chiefly of oil, narcotine, caout- 
chouc, resin, and woody fibre. It should be first boiled in wa- 
ter acidulated with muriatic acid. Muriate of narcotine is dis- 
solved out, and the narcotine may be separated from this by 
ammonia. The muriatic acid solution is generally of a pretty 
rose color, owing to the presence of traces of narceia, which 
have the property of communicating this tint to their dilute 
solutions. 
The remaining solid mass is to be divided into very small 
portions, and allowed to rest in contact with a pretty strong 
solution of ammonia for twenty-four hours. This dissolves 
the oil and resin. The solution is decanted, and the solid 
mass marked A. 3. By cautiously adding an acid much dilut- 
ed to this solution, the oil separates in globules which rise to 
the surface of the fluid, and the resin collects in dense clotted 
flakes, readily separated from the oil. 
The mass A. 3 contains little but caoutchouc and woody 
fibre. The former may be removed by digestion with naph- 
tha or sulphuric ether, and is obtained as the ductile mass on 
evaporating to dryness. The woody fibre or lignin now re- 
mains, and is characterized by its insolubility in alcohol, wa- 
ter, ether, or naphtha, and its fibrous thready texture. 
In the preceding analysis I have taken no notice of the ul- 
mine, which is so intimitely associated with the coloring mat- 
ter that they may be classed under one head, as the general re- 
sidue of the evaporation of the solution of A. 1, after the re- 
moval of its morphia and meconic acid, deducting, of course, 
saline or earthy matter which the incineration of a portion of 
the mass may show to be present. 
Lastly, 100 grains of the opium examined, are incinerated 
in a plantinum crucible ; the residue, when heated until its 
black color disappears, gives the amount of saline and earthy 
matter which the opium con tains. 
