446 
Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I     October,  1915. 
iodine  solution ;  from  papaverine  by  the  production  of  a  pale,  evanescent 
violet  instead  of  a  deep  rose  color  with  Marquis'  reagent,  and  a  dirty,  evanes- 
cent violet  instead  of  a  greenish-blue  color  with  potassium  ferricyanide  and 
Marquis'  reagent ;  and  from  thebaine  by  its  weak  basic  properties  and  by  the 
production  of  a  pale,  evanescent  violet  instead  of  a  deep  blood-red  color  with 
Marquis'  reagent. 
The  Merck  specimen  melted  at  175.30  C.  (corr.). 
The  M.  C.  W.  specimen  melted  at  i74~°  C.  (corr.). 
A  purchased  specimen  of  narcotine  (Merck)  melted  at  174.60 
(corr.). 
Comparison  of  the  other  findings  with  those  obtained  from  the 
purchased  specimen  of  narcotine  showed  no  material  differences. 
The  results,  therefore,  indicate  that  the  specimens  are  of  good 
quality. 
Narcotine  Hydrochloride. 
The  tests  to  which  the  specimen  of  narcotine  hydrochloride  was 
subjected  were  essentially  the  same  as  for  narcotine.  Narcotine  al- 
kaloid was  determined  by  dissolving  the  salt  water,  making  the 
solution  alkaline,  shaking  with  chloroform,  evaporating  the  chloro- 
form extractions,  drying  the  residue,  and  weighing.  In  addition  to 
the  other  tests,  chloride  was  determined  in  the  solution  from  which 
the  alkaloid  had  been  removed  by  acidifying  with  nitric  acid,  pre- 
cipitating with  silver  nitrate,  drying  the  precipitate,  and  weighing 
the  silver  chloride. 
The  results  obtained  in  the  examination  are  given  below. 
White  powder;  soluble  in  water  without  residue.  The  specimen 
was  free  from  sulphates,  meconates,  codeine,  morphine,  and  papa- 
verine. 
Comparison  of  the  findings  with  those  obtained  from  a  pur- 
chased specimen  of  narcotine  hydrochloride  showed  that  there  were 
no  appreciable  differences. 
The  findings  for  the  two  specimens  are  given  in  Table  IV. 
Table  IV. 
Composition  of  Two  Specimens  of  Commercial  Narcotine  Hydrochloride 
Merck 
Merck* 
Theory 
Hydrochloric  acid  (HC1)  
8.4I 
7.88 
8.11 
Anhydrous  alkaloid  
89.47 
91. 1 
91.89 
Melting-point  of  isolated  alkaloid.  .  . 
1 740  (corr.) 
1 740  (corr.) 
I74°-I76° 
*  Purchased  specimen. 
