Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1891. 
The  Chemistry  of  Opium. 
and  the  nitrate  again  made  ammoniacal  and  left  stand,  when  more 
alkaloid  was  precipitated.  This  was  continued  until  the  resulting 
nitrate  no  longer  gave  a  reaction  for  alkaloids.  The  various  pre- 
cipitates were  then  filtered  off  and  dried  at  8o°  C.  to  constant 
weight  and  regarded  as  the  total  alkaloids  of  the  opium  taken. 
They  were  then  treated  for  several  days  with  an  excess  of  lime- 
water  until  this  took  up  no  more  alkaloid.  The  remaining  alkaloids 
were  then  filtered  off,  washed  with  slightly  ammoniacal  cold  water 
and  dried  at  8o°  C.  They  were  then  weighed  and  regarded  as 
narcotine.    The  results  obtained  are  given  below : 
Porcelain  dish  -f-  alkaloids  (total),  =  24*3023  gr. 
"  "    alone,  =  14*0465  gr. 
Hence,  total  alkaloids  found,  =  10*2558  gr. 
Narcotine  (weighed  on  tared  filter),  =  4*3631 
giving  as  the  final  result : 
N         Morphine,  5*8927  grams  f  equiv.  to  11*79  Per  cent. 
Narcotine,  4*3631      "      I     "     to   8*73   "  " 
The  other  alkaloids  present  in  opium,  such  as  codeine,  narceine, 
papaverine,  etc.,  were  not  considered  separately  as  they,  in  all 
probability,  play  the  same  role  with  respect  to  the  acids  present  as 
does  morphine. 
In  a  separate  experiment  with  the  same  opium,  which  was  dialysed 
in  the  same  manner  as  that  just  described,  the  dialysate  was  shaken 
with  amyl  alcohol,  the  latter  then  separated  ;.nd  shaken 
in  a  separating  funnel  with  a  solution  of  sodium  hydroxide 
for  half  an  hour,  and  the  alkaline  layer  separated  as  before.  This 
was  then  acidified  and  a  few  drops  of  it,  when  brought  in  contact 
with  a  drop  of  a  solution  of  ferric  chloride,  gave  a  beautiful  wine-red 
color,  thus  showing  the  presence  of  meconic  acid.  Inasmuch  as  experi- 
ments with  morphine  and  narcotine  meconates  had  shown  that 
neither  of  these  are  taken  up  by  amyl  alcohol,  it  follows  that  the 
free  acid  in  the  dialysate  was  meconic  acid. 
CONCLUSIONS. 
(I)  That  the  free  acid  in  aqueous  opium  extracts  is  meconic  acid. 
(II)  That  the  silica  in  opium  is  present  in  the  form  of  sand,  and 
that  the  lime  is  most  likely  combined  with  phosphoric  acid,  while 
the  magnesia  and  potash  are  probably  combined  with  organic  acids 
and  some  sulphuric  acid. 
(III)  That  there  is  more  than  enough  sulphuric  acid  present  in 
