THE 
AMERICAN  JOURNAL  OF  PHARMACY 
JULY,  1874. 
CHLORINATED  ALKALIES  AS  A  TEST  FOR  xMORPHIA  ANP 
OTHER  PROXIMATE  PRINCIPLES. 
By  Henry  S.  Wellcome,  C  P. 
While  making  a  series  of  experiments  on  the  alkaloids,  I  found 
that  chlorinated  lime  gave  a  red  color  with  morphia,  and  at  that  time 
was  not  aware  that  the  reaction  had  ever  before  come  to  notice,  as 
none  of  our  text-books  in  chemistry  make  any  mention  of  it.  I  have 
since  found  a  very  brief  note  in  G-meliris  Chemistry,  Cav.  edit.;  Vol. 
xvi,  p.  425.  ''Aqueous  chlorinated  lime  gives  a  dark  orange  color 
with  morphia  (Duflos).  Chlorine  gives  a  yellow  color  with  morphia, 
and  is  changed  to  dark  brown  by  ammonia  (Braconnot)."  By  refer- 
ring to  the  files  of  some  of  the  pharmaceutical  journals,  I  find  that 
the  reaction  of  chlorine  and  chlorinated  lime  has  several  times 
been  announced  as  a  new  test,*  but  seems  to  have  never  been  fully 
investigated.  Having  become  interested  in  it,  I  have  continued  my 
investigations,  and  have  become  convinced  that  it  deserves  more 
attention  than  it  has  received. 
It  is  extremely  delicate  and  very  characteristic.  Solution  of  chlo- 
rinated  soda  and  other  alkaline  solutions  of  chlorine  give  the  same 
reaction.  As  a  reagent,  the  following  solution  has  been  found  very 
convenient ;  it  is  made  by  adding  two  ounces  of  fresh  chlorinated! 
lime  to  a  pint  of  water,  and,  after  standing  a  few  hours,  decanting 
the  clear  solution. 
Morphia,  in  powder,  gives  a  deep  red  color  with  a  drop  of  this 
solution. 
With  a  solution  of  one  grain  of  morphia  in  one  thousand  grains  of 
water,  it  gives  a  bright  red  color ;  and  a  drop  of  the  mixture  evapo- 
*  Compare  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  vol.  viii,  p.  213  ;  vo!.  x,  p.  168  ; 
vol.  xxviii,  p.  9. 
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