A octobe^  1915™' }     Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids.  443 
The  results  of  the  examination  show  that  the  chief  impurity  in 
the  specimens  of  morphine  sulphate  examined  is  codeine  sulphate. 
The  presence  of  codeine  in  the  market  supply  of  morphine  sulphate 
has  repeatedly  been  shown.10  Up  to  7  per  cent,  has  been  reported, 
but  the  amounts  usually  found  are  less  than  3  per  cent.  The  ninth  re- 
vision of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  11  will  probably  provide  a  test  for 
the  presence  of  codeine  sulphate  in  morphine  sulphate  which  will 
limit  the  permitted  amount  to  not  more  than  about  1  per  cent,  of 
the  foreign  salt.  The  specimens  sent  by  Dr.  Macht  conform  to  this 
standard. 
In  addition  to  the  tests  proposed  for  inclusion  in  the  ninth  revision 
of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  very  few  experiments  were  carried  out 
with  morphine  sulphate.  The  optical  activity  of  one  of  the  specimens 
was  observed  and  was  found  not  to  agree  with  the  published  values. 
For  example,  Henry  12  gives  the  specific  rotatory  power  of  the  salt  as 
-  1 00.47 °  in  water  at  150  C.  The  value  found  for  the  purchased 
specimen  of  the  salt  (Merck  brand)  was  -93440,  or  about  93  per 
cent,  of  theory.  The  specific  rotatory  power  of  another  purchased 
specimen  of  the  salt  (P.-W.-R.  brand  known  to  be  several  years  old) 
was  found  to  be  -94.070.  The  former  of  these  contained  about  1.65 
per  cent,  of  codeine  sulphate  and  the  latter  about  3.17  per  cent.,  but, 
as  the  specific  rotatory  power  of  crystallized  codeine  sulphate  is 
stated  13  to  be  -101.20  at  150  C.  the  discrepancy  noted  in  the  mor- 
phine salt  can  scarcely  be  explained  on  the  ground  of  the  presence  of 
this  impurity. 
Narceine. 
In  addition  to  tests  for  identity,  the  tests  applied  to  the  specimens 
of  narceine  included  determinations  of  water  of  hydration  (loss  at 
ioo°  C),  chloride,  and  melting-point.  Limit  tests  were  carried  out 
for  meconates,  sulphates,  codeine,  morphine,  narcotine,  and  papa- 
verine.   Codeine,  narcotine,  and  papaverine  were  tested  for  by  dis- 
10  Williams,  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  84,  391  (1912).  Kebler,  Ibid.,  501. 
Williams,  lour.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  2,  81  (1913).  Kebler,  Jour.  Am.  Pharm. 
Assoc.,  1,  1405  (1912).  Kebler,  Proc.  Assoc.  Off.  Agric.  Chem.,  29,  192  (1913). 
Wilson,  Ann.  Rep.  U.  S.  Dept.  Agric.  (1912).  E'We  and  Vanderkleed,  four. 
Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  2,  981  (1913). 
n Jour.  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  2,  1897  (1913). 
12  "The  Plant  Alkaloids,"  p.  211. 
13  Ibid.,  p.  214. 
