238  Researches  on  Opium  Alkaloids.  {^"m"51' 
(3)  -468  grm.  lost  on  being  heated  to  160°  C,  until  the  weight 
remained  constant,  -086  grm.  (HC1  -f  H20). 
Calculated  for 
C37H30N2O9  2HC1+4H20       C36H36N209  2HC1^4H,Q 
C,  •  •   5571  55*03 
H,   577  5-86 
01,   8*91  9*04 
H20  +  HC1,   ,  18-20  18-47 
Found 
1  2  3 
C,   55  73  —  — 
H,  *  .  .•.  5*93  -  — 
CI,   -  9-i  - 
H20  +  HC1,  .  .   —  -  18-37 
Reactions. — Xanthaline  dissolves  in  strong  sulphuric  acid,  with  a 
deep  orange  color  like  thebaine.  It  is  not  decomposed,  however, 
unless  heat  be  applied,  and  on  standing,  or  more  quickly  on  addi- 
tion of  water,  the  dark  orange  gives  way  to  a  pale  yellow,  and  the 
sulphate  of  xanthaline  crystallizes  out  in  soft  yellow  needles.  This 
reaction  is  very  striking. 
Nitric  acid  also  dissolves  xanthaline  in  the  cold  without  decom- 
position, and  solutions  containing  a  large  excess  of  dilute  nitric 
acid  can  even  be  heated  to  the  boiling  point  without  decomposi- 
tion. The  nitrate  crystallizes  out  on  cooling  in  beautiful,  shining, 
orange  yellow  needles. 
Hydroxanthaline. — While  xanthaline  shows  great  resistance  to 
oxidizing  agents,  it  is  readily  attacked  by  nascent  hydrogen.  If  to 
the  hot  solution  of  the  sulphate  containing  an  excess  of  acid, 
granulated  zinc  be  added,  a  violent  reaction  sets  in,  following  which' 
the  yellow  color  of  the  liquid  is  found  to  have  disappeared.  On 
cooling,  the  liquid  almost  solidifies  into  a  mass  of  white  crystals, 
which  are  a  double  compound  containing  zinc  and  the  sulphate  of 
another  new  base,  hydroxanthaline. 
To  separate  the  latter,  the  solution  is  evaporated  to  dryness  and 
treated  with  strong  boiling  alcohol,  which  takes  up  very  little  zinc, 
but  dissolves  the  sulphate  of  hydroxanthaline  readily.  The  clear 
alcoholic  solution  is  evaporated,  the  resulting  crystalline  magma 
pressed  and  recrystallized.  It  is  very  soluble  in  water,  and  the  base 
is  precipitated  from  its  solution  as  a  resinous-looking  body,  which 
quickly  solidifies.  Recrystallized  from  weak  spirit,  it  forms  hard, 
white  crystals.    These  melt  at  1370  C,  and  are  anhydrous. 
