542  Action  of  Apomorphine  and  Apocodeine  J{Am-i™y/f^rm- 
At  first  Dr.  Murrell  began  with  small  doses,  such  as  ^  of  a 
grain,  but  sometimes  he  commenced  with  from  three  to  six-tenths 
three  times  a  day.  In  a  few  cases  apomorphine  given  by  the  mouth 
produced  nausea  and  vomiting. 
Apomorphine  made  into  an  ointment  is  a  valuable  form  of 
administration,  especially  useful  in  the  case  of  children.  To  ascertain 
what  the  emetic  dose  would  be  if  the  drug  were  given  in  this  way, 
three  ointments  were  prepared  with  lard,  vaselin,  and  lanolin,  each 
containing  ^  grain  of  apomorphine  to  the  drachm.  These  were 
given  to  different  patients  with  instructions  that  the  ointment  should 
be  rubbed  on  the  chest  before  the  fire  at  bedtime.  No  emetic  effect 
resulted.  Even  when  the  quantity  was  increased  by  rubbing  in  -| 
grain  in  half  an  ounce  of  lard  vomiting  was  not  produced,  but  with 
that  dose  there  was  an  expectorant  action  lasting  some  hours. 
When  used  in  the  form  of  spray  the  expectorant  action  is  very 
marked ;  y1^-  to  T3^  of  a  grain  may  be  used  in  this  way  with  a 
little  water,  the  patient  being  told  not  to  swallow  the  fluid  which 
accumulates  in  the  mouth. 
In  a  few  cases  a  narcotic  effect  has  been  described  as  occurring 
after  apomorphine,  but  Dr.  Murrell  thinks  this  is  either  imaginary  or 
due  to  a  mixture  of  apomorphine  with  morphine. 
Apomorphine  has  the  advantage  of  compatibility  with  morphine. 
It  may  be  given  in  cases  of  opium  poisoning  as  an  emetic,  and  as 
an  expectorant  the  combination  is  very  useful,  especially  in  cases  of 
phthisis. 
In  the  majority  of  the  cases  treated  by  the  author,  the  drug  was 
given  in  mixture  with  syrup  of  wild  cherry,  syrup  of  tar  and  syrup 
of  lemon. 
It  is  well  known  that  a  solution  of  apomorphine  changes  color 
after  a  time,  becoming  dark  green  after  exposure  to  light  and  air. 
The  author  used  both  freshly  prepared  solutions  and  those  which 
had  been  kept  for  months  and  had  changed  color.  There  was  no 
perceptible  difference  in  their  action,  and  the  change  in  color  seems 
to  have  no  harmful  effect.  The  direction  given  with  the  B.  P. 
injectio  apomorphine  hypodermica  (i  in  50),  that  it  should  be  made 
as  required  for  use,  is  unnecessary. 
Dr.  Murrell  has  made  experiments  with  apocodeine.  Apocodeine 
(C18H19N02),  bears  the  same  relation  to  codeine  (C18H21N03)  as  apo- 
morphine does  to  morphine,  containing  an  equivalent  less  of  H2C 
It  is  made  by  acting  on  codeine  with  chloride  of  zinc. 
