COMPOSITION UPON THE ORGANIC ALKALIES. 219 
The anomalies appeared so remarkable as to induce me to 
undertake new researches on the composition of the organic 
alkalies. 
My researches demonstrate that the law of composition 
which M. Liebig believed that he had discovered in this class, 
and which has been generally admitted, is not exact. These 
bases do not always contain two atoms of nitrogen; many of 
them possess four atoms. Their capacity of saturation is con- 
sequently not the same as if the nitrogen existed in the state 
of ammonia. 
All the vegetable bases, extracted from opium, contain two 
atoms of nitrogen, whilst those of the cinchonas and strychnos 
contain four atoms. 
The method, equally simple and ingenious, pointed out by 
M. Liebig, to determine the capacity of saturation of the or- 
ganic alkalies, and which consists in saturating a known weight 
of the perfectly dry base, with hydrochloric acid gas, and 
determining the increase of weight, will lead to exact results; 
but it requires to be conducted with great circumspection, the 
greater number of the bases being capable of absorbing a quan- 
tity of hydrochloric acid gas much greater than is necessary for 
their saturation. They do not abandon this excess of acid in 
vacuo, but only at a very elevated temperature, and that most 
frequently exceeding 100°. Some of them, as, for example, 
quinia and cinchonia, are decomposed previous to being re- 
duced to the state of neutral hydrochlorate. In all these cases 
it is proper to verify the atomic weight obtained, by analysing 
a neutral salt prepared via humida. 
The formulae of the principal organic bases are, according to 
my analyses, as follows: — 
Morphia, H 40 C 35 N 2 O 6 
Codeia, H 40 C 35 N 2 O 5 
Narcotina, H4°C 44 N 2 13 
Quinia, H 48 C 40 N 4 O 4 
Cinchonia, H 4t3 C JO N 4 O f ' 
Strychnia, H 44 C 42 N 4 CM 
Brucia, H 52 C 46 N 4 8 
