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CRYPTOPIA,  A  NEW  ALKALOID  IN  OPIUM. 
our  preconception  was  not  erroneous,  we  are  now  able  to  add: 
another  well-marked  body  to  the  list  already  admitted.  The  new 
substance  is  an  organic  alkaloid  ;  its  alkaline  character  is  strong 
and  decided,  perfectly  neutralizing  the  strongest  acids,  and 
forming  salts.  The  sulphate,  muriate,  nitrate,  thebolactate,  and 
acetate  have  been  produced  by  us?— these  all  crystallize  in  beau- 
tiful and  distinct  forms. 
The  salts  of  cryptopia, — a  name  which  we  have  given  to-  the 
subject  of  this  paper, — especially  the  muriate,  have  a  remarkable 
tendency  to  form  a  jelly.  In  this  tendency  they  are  distinguished 
from  all  the  other  salts  of  the  opium  alkalies,  and?  so  far  as  we 
are  a^vare,  from  most  of  the  other  organic  salts.  The  salts  of 
aricina  form,  as  far  as  we  remember,  the  only  example  of  the 
existence  of  such  a  character.  If  the  muriate  of  cryptopia  be 
dissolved  in  from  ten  to  twenty  parts  of  hot  water,  the  solution 
sets  into  a  crystalline  mass  on  cooling  ;  but  if  the  quantity  of 
water  should  amount  to  about  thirty  parts,  the  liquid,  on  being 
set  aside,  instead  of  crystallizing,  forms  a  jelly,  which  differs  in 
appearance  from  pure  gelatine  only  by  being  somewhat  less 
transparent.  If  the  jelly  be  now  evaporated  in  a  shallow  vessel 
at  a  smart  heat,  it  dries  up  into  transparent  horny  shavings, 
which  by  continued  heat  become  short  and  brittle  ;  but  if  the 
heat  of  evaporation  be  only  about  100°  F.,  it  crystallizes  in 
flattened,  striated  tufts,  radiating  very  prettily  from  a  centre  or 
taking  fringe-like  forms,  and  gives  about  ./^  of  its  previous 
weight. 
In  the  gelatinous  state  the  muriate  of  cryptopia  behaves  some- 
what eccentrically,  sometimes  retaining  this  condition  for  an  in- 
definite period,  and  at  other  times  running  into  crystalline  knots,, 
which  are  then  seen  floating  in  a  clear  watery  liquid.  The  mu- 
riate of  cryptopia,  and  also,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  its  other 
salts,  has  a  character  which  peculiarly  distinguishes  it  from  the 
muriates  of  the  other  opium  alkalies  :  for  instance,  if  the  muriate 
of  morphia  or  eodeia  be  dissolved  in  a  quantity  of  hot  water, 
such  as  to  give  a  crystallization  of  the  salt  on  cooling,  if  the  re- 
sulting salt  be  dried  by  the  use  of  bibulous  paper  and  exposure 
to  a  gentle  heat,  the  bulk  of  the  salt  hardly  changes,  and  remains 
in  a  state  loose  and  easily  broken  up  y  with  muriate  of  cryptopia 
