154  The  Salts  of  Narcotine.  { A\aJr0cuhr  ^rm- 
Some  of  these  crystals  were  dried  by  exposure  to  the  air,  and  a  weighed 
quantity  of  the  air-dry  salt  placed  in  the  water-bath. 
14*55  grs.  lost  0*10  gr.  =  0*68  per  cent. 
Two  portions  of  same  salt  dissolved  in  water,  excess  of  ammonia 
added,  and  the  precipitates  collected  and  weighed. 
17-200  grs.  gave  14*30  grs.  =  83*13  per  cent. 
6*555  grs.  gave  5*45  grs.  =  83*14  per  cent. 
14*55  grs.  dried  at  130°  C.  gave  only  78  35  per  cent.,  indicating 
decomposition  at  that  temperature. 
The  salt  dried  in  water-bath  lost  weight  further  in  the  air-bath  at 
120°.  9*74  grs.  lost  0*675  gr.  =  a  loss  in  weight  of  6*93  per  cent,  on 
the  air-dry  salt. 
From  the  results  obtained  it  was  suspected  that  the  sulphate  used  in 
these  experiments  had  been  over  dried  by  too  long  exposure  to  the  air. 
A  quantity  of  it  was  therefore  moistened  with  water,  and  when  appa- 
rently just  dry  was  transferred  to  the  water-bath. 
9*740  grs.  lost  1*48  grs.  =  1*48  per  cent. 
It  would  therefore  appear  that  narcotine  sulphate  has  the  compo- 
sition (C22H23N07)2 .  H2S04 .  4H20,  and  that  it  loses  one  molecule  of 
its  water  below  100°  C,  the  remainder  at  a  higher  temperature. 
+  Calculated.  Found. 
N2H2S04 .  4H20  H20         7  22  6*93 
N2H2S043H20 .  H20  H20         1*71  1-48 
N2H2S043H20 .  H20  N         82-93  83*13 
We  have  not  prepared  any  other  salts  besides  these,  and  it  is  indeed 
unnecessary  to  do  so.  The  meconate,  muriate  and  sulphate  dissolve 
completely  in  water,  and  their  solutions  remain  clear  even  when  largely 
diluted.  Not  so  the  acetate.  By  adding  hot  water  to  a  solution  of 
narcotine  in  dilute  acetic  acid,  the  greater  part  of  the  alkaloid  is  pre- 
cipitated. One  thing  is  noticeable  regarding  all  salts  of  narcotine,  that 
their  solutions  are  acid,  i.  e.,  they  behave  as  if  they  contained  free  acid. 
This  I  have  no  doubt  they  do,  in  common  probably  with  all  acid  solu- 
tions of  salts.  When  such  a  solution  is  shaken  up  with  a  solvent 
capable  of  dissolving  the  base,  some  of  the  base  is  taken  up ;  as  when 
a  solution  of  narcotine  muriate  is  agitated  with  ether.  The  process 
may  perhaps  be  expressed  in  this  way :  Narcotine,  hydrochloric  acid, 
and  water  have  each  an  affinity  or  attraction  for  the  others.  When 
narcotine  muriate  is  dissolved  in  water,  the  latter  attracts  the  acid  so  as 
