Am"ju°ne!"i884!rm' }  Pseudomorphine.  339 ' 
The  hydrate  loses  its  water  at  130°,  but  the  base  is  so  very  hygroscopic 
that  it  is  only  by  taking  special  precautions  that  rehydration  can 
be  prevented.  The  less  crystalline  the  specimen  in  question,  the  more 
marked  is  its  hygroscopic  character.  The  alkaloid  is  best  purified  by 
solution  in  ammonia,  from  which  it  crystallizes  in  colorless  crusts 
containing  1JH20,  which  it  loses  at  130°.  The  hydrochloride 
C17H17N03,HC1,  crystallizes  in  scales  containing,  under  varying  condi- 
tions, respectively  1,  2,  3,  and  4  mols.  H20.  A  basic  hydrochloride 
(C17H]7N03)2,HC1  -f  6H20,  is  obtained  in  microscopic  crystals  from  a 
hot  neutral  acetic  solution  on  the  addition  of  sodium  chloride  :  from  a 
cold  solution,  the  basic  salt  crystallizes  with  8H20.  With  platinum 
chloride  both  the  neutral  and  basic  salts  yield  a  yellow  flocculent 
platinochloride  (C17H17N03)2,H2PtCl6. 
The  hydriodide,  C17H]7N03,HI  -f-  H20,  loses  its  water  when  exposed 
to  the  air:  the  chromate  (C17Hl7M)3)2,  H2Cr207  +  6H20,  loses  4H20 
at  80°  :  the  sulphate  crystallizes  with  6H20,  and  effloresces  slightly 
in  dry  air,  but  when  crystallized  from  boiling  water  it  is  stable :  the 
oxalate  yields  shining  scales,  with  8H20  :  the  acid  tartrate, 
(:irii,7.\o3AHA  +  6H2o, 
crystallizes  in  needles  or  prisms.  Heated  for  two  hours  at  120°  with 
acetic  anhydride,  pseudomorphine  yields  diacetylpseudomorphine, 
Cl7H15(C2H302)2N03.  It  crystallizes  from  ether  in  concentrically 
grouped  flat  prisms,  containing  4H20,  which  it  loses  in  the  desiccator. 
It  is  moderately  soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  very  soluble  in 
alcohol,  in  which  it  yields  a  strongly  alkaline  solution.  It  contracts 
at  250°,  but  does  not  melt  until  276°.  It  gives  no  coloration  with 
ferric  chloride.  With  hydrochloric  acid,  it  forms  a  salt  crystallizing 
in  quadratic  tables,  easily  soluble  in  water.  With  platinum  chloride, 
this  salt  yields  a  pale  yellow  flocculent  platinochloride, 
[C17H15(C2H30)2N03]2,H2PtC]6  +  6H20. 
The  di-acetyl  compound  is  easily  reconverted  into  the  original  base 
by  heating  it  with  alcoholic  potash.  It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  the 
hydroxyl-groups  of  morphine  are  still  present  in  pseudomorphine. 
The  author  was  unable  to  obtain  a  methyl  compound  by  the  action  of 
potassium  hydroxide  and  methyl  iodide.  He,  however,  obtained 
pseudomorphine  methyl-hydroxide,  C17Hl7N03MeOH.  The  author 
also  believes  pseudomorphine  to  be  identical  with  the  substance  which 
