^""'sepriSr^''}        Sodio- Bismuth  Tartrate  and  Pepsin.  425 
mix  2*9  grams  of  sodium  bicarbonate  with  5  fluidgrams  of  water, 
and  gradually  add  2*55  grams  of  tartaric  acid.  With  this  solution 
mix  the  washed  bismuth  tartrate  and  stir  them  together  occasionally 
until  a  clear  solution  has  resulted. 
Mix  the  diluted  chlorhydric  acid  with  water  to  the  measure  of  200 
fluidgrams,  and  add  the  orange  flower  water.  Pour  this  mixture  upon 
the  saccharated  pepsin,  and  transfer  the  resulting  magma  to  a  bottle 
having  double  the  capacity ;  cork  it  well,  and  immerse  it  in  a  water- 
bath  having  a  constant  temperature  of  40°C.  for  the  time  of  one  hour, 
shaking  the  bottle  at  intervals.  Pour  the  resulting  pepsin  solution 
into  a  beaker,  or  graduated  measure,  and  add  sodium  bicarbonate  until 
neutralization  is  eflected.  To  this  liquid  then  add  the  solution  of  bis- 
muth sodio-tartrate,  and  carefully  follow  with  more  sodium  bicarbonate 
until  the  gelatinous  precipitate  which  had  formed  is  redissolved.  Now 
incorporate  the  strychnine  and  2  grams  of  tartaric  acid  ;  transfer  the 
solution  to  a  filter,  returning  the  first  turbid  portions  that  pass,  and 
when  all  the  liquid  has  passed  through  follow  with  water,  if  necessary, 
through  the  filter,  so  that  the  filtrate  measures  550  fluidgrams.  To 
this  now  add  the  alcohol  and  glycerin  previously  united,  and  mix  the 
whole. 
Opionin  is  a  body  obtained  by  O.  Hesse  from  Smyrna  opium,  by 
treating  it  at  ordinary  temperature  with  an  excess  of  milk  of  lime, 
supersaturating  the  solution  with  excess  of  acetic  acid  and  concentrat- 
ing to  a  weight  equal  to  that  of  the  opium.  The  brown  flocculent 
mass  which  separates  contains  gypsum,  and  yields  to  ammonia  the 
opionin,  which  is  precipitated  from  the  filtrate  by  hydrochloric  or 
acetic  acid.  It  forms  concentric  groups  of  small  needles,  melts  and 
turns  brown  at  227°  C,  is  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether,  sparingly 
soluble  in  boiling  water,  is  neutral  to  test  paper  and  seems  to  be  free 
from  nitrogen.  Its  solutions  in  alkalies  are  yellow,  but  acids  separate 
it  as  a  nearly  colorless  crystalline  precipitate.  On  warming  its 
alcoholic  solution  yields  with  ferric  chloride  a  flocculent  brown-red 
precipitate.  On  boiling  its  solution  with  lime,  a  crystalline  acid  solu- 
ble in  water  and  ether  is  formed.  On  melting  opionin  with  potassa, 
opionylic  acid  is  formed  which  is  likewise  freely  soluble  in  water  and 
ether  and  crystallizes  in  dense  colorless  prisms. — Liebig's  Annalen,  voL 
228,  p.  299-300. 
