Aoctobe?"  1915™'}     Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids.  445 
iodine  solution,  by  the  production  of,  a  brown  instead  of  a  purple  color  with 
Marquis*  reagent,  a  brownish-green  instead  of  a  purple  color  with  Frohde's 
reagent,  and  a  light  brown  instead  of  a  blue  color  with  Lafon's  reagent;  from 
narcotine  by  its  scant  solubility  in  most  of  the  ordinary  organic  solvents,  its 
comparatively  easy  solubility  in  hot  water  or  in  ammonia  water,  by  the 
formation  of  a  blue  instead  of  a  reddish-brown  precipitate  with  very  dilute 
iodine  solution,  by  the  production  of  a  brown  instead  of  a  green  color  with 
Lafon's  reagent,  and  a  brown  instead  of  an  orange  color  with  Mandelin's 
reagent  ;  from  papaverine  by  its  scant  solubility  in  most  of  the  organic  solvents, 
its  comparatively  easy  solubility  in  hot  water  or  in  ammonia  water,  by  the 
formation  of  a  blue  instead  of  a  reddish-brown  precipitate  with  very  dilute 
iodine  solution,  by  the  production  of  a  brown  instead  of  a  deep  rose  color  with 
Marquis'  reagent,  a  brown  instead  of  a  greenish-blue  color  with  potassium 
ferricyanide  and  Marquis'  reagent,  and  a  light  brown  instead  of  a  green 
color  with  Lafon's  reagent;  from  thebaine  by  its  weak  basic  properties,  its 
comparatively  easy  solubility  in  hot  water  or  in  ammonia  water,  its  scant 
solubility  in  most  of  the  ordinary  organic  solvents,  by  the  formation  of  a  blue 
instead  of  a  reddish-brown  precipitate  with  very  dilute  iodine  solution,  the 
formation  of  an  orange-red  instead  of  a  reddish-brown  coloration  with  chlorine 
water  and  ammonia  water,  and  by  the  production  of  a  yellow  instead  of  a 
deep  blood-red  color  with  sulphuric  acid. 
Narcotine. 
The  tests  to  which  the  specimens  of  narcotine  were  subjected  in- 
cluded limit  tests  for  chloride,  meconates,  sulphates,  codeine,  mor- 
phine, papaverine,  and  thebaine,  as  well  as  a  determination  of  the 
melting-point  of  the  dried  alkaloid. 
The  results  obtained  are  given  herewith. 
Two  specimens  of  narcotine  were  received.  One  (Merck)  was 
a  white  crystalline  powder,  the  other  (M.  C.  W.)  in  the  form  of 
colorless  prisms.  The  latter  was  stated  not  to  be  a  market  prepara- 
tion, but  to  have  been  prepared  by  the  manufacturer  for  research 
purposes.  Portions  of  each  specimen  dissolved  in  diluted  hydro- 
chloric acid  without  residue.  Each  was  free  from  chloride,  sul- 
phates, meconates,  codeine,  morphine,  papaverine,  and  thebaine. 
Narcotine  is  distinguished  from  codeine  by  its  weak  basic  properties,  its 
scant  solubility  in  water  or  in  ammonia  water,  by  the  production  of  a  pale, 
evanescent  violet  instead  of  a  deep,  bluish-violet  color  with  Marquis'  reagent, 
and  an  orange-red  instead  of  a  pale  green  color  with  Mandelin's  reagent ;  from 
morphine  by  its  weak  basic  properties,  its  ready  solubility  in  ether,  chloroform, 
and  benzene,  its  failure  to  reduce  iodic  acid,  by  the  production  of  a  yellowish- 
green  instead  of  a  purple  color  with  Frohde's  reagent,  and  a  pale,  evanescent 
violet  instead  of  a  deep  purple  color  with  Marquis'  reagent ;  from  narceine  by 
the  formation  of  a  brownish-red  instead  of  a  blue  precipitate  with  very  dilute 
