Am.  Jour.  Pharm,  \ 
Aug.,  1885.  J 
Estimation  of  Morphine  in  Opium. 
395 
of  about  20  to  25  cc.  The  concentrated  extract  is  transferred  with  as 
little  water  as  possible,  to  a  2  ounce  Erlenmyer  flask,  accurately  tared 
and  provided  with  a  tight-fitting  cork,  and  allowed  to  cool.  It  is  now 
ready  to  be  submitted  to  the  second  part  of  the  process,  viz.,  the  separa- 
tion of  the  morphine. 
2d.  After  adding  10  cc.  of  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  the  flask  is  agitated, 
and  a  volume  of  ether  equal  to  that  of  the  contents  is  added,  the  cork 
is  tightly  fitted  and  the  flask  well  shaken.  The  cork  is  now  removed, 
and,  before  the  ether  has  had  time  to  separate,  a  slight  excess  (about 
4  cc.)  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  ammonia  is  added.  The  cork  is 
again  replaced  and  the  flask  well  shaken  until  crystals  of  morphine 
begin  to  separate.  The  flask  is  now  set  aside  in  a  cool  place  and  the 
separation  of  the  alkaloid  allowed  to  continue  for  about  twelve  hours, 
when  it  will  be  complete.  This  complete  separation  may  also  be 
accomplished  in  from  half  an  hour  to  two  or  three  hours  by  continuous 
or  frequent  agitation. 
The  alcohol  is  added  in  order  to  permit  of  the  ether  mixing  readily 
with  the  aqueous  extract,  and  thereby  prevent  the  separation  of  narco- 
tine  which  is  readily  soluble  in  this  menstruum. 
3d.  When  the  separation  of  morphine  is  complete  the  cork  is 
removed  from  the  flask  and  the  upper  stratum  of  ethereal  fluid  carry- 
ing most  of  the  narcotine,  etc.,  is  carefully  decanted  through  a  tared 
filter  of  9  centimeters  diameter,  without  disturbing  the  dark,  watery 
liquid  in  the  bottom  of  the  flask.  Upon  this  dark  liquid  is  now  poured 
about  20  cc.  more  ether,  which  is  rinsed  around  the  sides  of  the  flask 
and  the  surface  of  the  liquid,  and  is  decanted  carefully  through  the 
filter  as  before,  that  remaining  being  absorbed  by  means  of  a  strip  of 
blotting  paper.  The  filter  is  washed  down  with  a  little  more  ether, 
applied  drop  by  drop  around  the  edges  and  allowed  to  dry  so  that  the 
heavy  liquid  which  is  now  thrown  upon  it,  together  with  the  mor- 
phine, will  pass  through  readil}^  The  crystals  remaining  in  the  flask 
are  then  washed  upon  the  filter  with  cold  water  and  the  washing  con- 
tinued until  the  water  comes  through  colorless. 
The  filter  and  contents  are  removed  from  the  funnel,  and  the  edges, 
having  been  carefully  folded  together,  are  pressed  between  folds  of 
blotting  paper  until  most  of  the  moisture  is  absorbed.  It  is  then  dried 
in  an  air-bath  (together  with  the  tailed  flask,  if  any  of  the  crystals  re- 
main adhering  to  its  sides)  at  a  temperature  of  100°  C,  and  weighed, 
the  result  obtained,  after  subtracting  the  tare  of  the  filter  (and  flask,  if 
