444 
Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\     October,  1915. 
solving  the  alkaloid  in  potassium  hydroxide  solution,  extracting  the 
solution  with  ether,  and  testing  the  residue  on  evaporation  for  the 
respective  alkaloids. 
The  results  obtained  in  the  examination  of  the  specimen  of  nar- 
ceine  are  given  below. 
Grayish-white  powder  which  under  the  microscope  was  seen  to 
be  considerably  effloresced.  The  preparation  was  free  from  sulphates, 
meconates,  narcotine,  codeine,  and  morphine,  but  contained  con- 
siderable quantities  of  a  chloride,  evidently  narceine  hydrochloride. 
The  findings  were  compared  with  those  obtained  from  the  examina- 
tion of  a  purchased  specimen.  The  two  specimens  were  not  markedly 
different.  The  analytical  findings  for  the  specimens  are  given  in 
Table  III. 
Table  III. 
Composition  of  Two  Specimens  of  Commercial  Narceine. 
Merck 
Merck  * 
Theory 
C23H2708N.3H20 
Water  (loss  at  ioo°)  
Melting-point  (undried  specimen) . .  . 
6.32 
I.20a 
92.48 
1 65°  (corr.) 
6.13 
o.98b 
92.89 
1 65°  (corr.) 
IO.81 
O 
89.19 
170° 
*  Purchased  specimen. 
a  Equivalent  to  17-73  per  cent,  of  narceine  hydrochloride  (C23H27OsN.HCl.3H2O). 
6  Equivalent  to  14.43  per  cent,  of  narceine  hydrochloride. 
Because  of  the  similarity  between  the  solubilities  of  narceine  and 
narceine  hydrochloride  it  is  very  difficult  to  separate  the  two  sub- 
stances by  means  of  solvents.  Consequently  commercial  narceine  is 
usually  contaminated  with  this  impurity.  E.  Merck  14  is  of  the  opinion 
that  a  preparation  which  is  free  from  meconin  and  which  does  not 
melt  below  165 °  C.  is  of  sufficient  purity  for  most  purposes. 
Narceine  is  distinguished  from  codeine  by  its  weak  basic  properties,  its 
scant  solubility  in  most  of  the  ordinary  organic  solvents,  by  the  formation  of 
a  blue  instead  of  a  reddishubrown  precipitate  with  very  dilute  iodine  solution; 
by  the  production  of  a  brown  instead  of  a  violet  color  with  Marquis'  reagent, 
and  a  light  brown  instead  of  a  green  color  with  Laf on's  reagent ;  from 
morphine  by  its  weak  basic  properties,  its  failure  to  reduce  iodic  acid,  its 
comparatively  ready  solubility  in  hot  water  and  in  ammonia  water,  by  the 
formation  of  a  blue  instead  of  a  reddish-brown  precipitate  with  very  dilute 
uChem.  Ztg.,  13,  525  (1889). 
