448 
Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t     October,  1915. 
weighed  0.0020  Gm.,  equivalent  to  0.86  per  cent,  of  the  quantity  of 
narcotine  taken.  The  residue  responded  to  tests  for  narcotine,  but 
not  to  tests  for  codeine.  From  0.2286  Gm.  of  narcotine  to  which 
0.0233  Gm.  of  anhydrous  codeine  had  been  added,  a  precipitate  weigh- 
ing 0.2.272  Gm.  was  obtained,  equivalent  to  99.39  per  cent,  of  the 
quantity  of  narcotine  taken;  and  an  ether  extract  weighing  0.0232 
Gm.  was  obtained,  equivalent  to  99.57  per  cent,  of  the  quantity  of 
codeine  taken.  ' 
From  these  tests  it  can  be  seen  that  the  presence  of  small  quan- 
tities of  codeine  in  narcotine  can  be  detected  readily  by  the  method, 
and,  further,  can  even  be  determined  with  a  moderate  degree  of 
accuracy. 
Papaverine  Hydrochloride. 
The  tests  to  which  the  specimens  of  papaverine  hydrochloride 
were  subjected  included  identification,  determinations  of  the  alkaloid 
and  chloride,  melting-point  of  the  isolated  alkaloid,  and  qualitative 
tests  for  sulphates,  meconates,  codeine,  cryptopine,  narcotine,  and 
morphine. 
In  addition  to  the  specimen  of  papaverine  hydrochloride  sent  by 
Dr.  Macht  and  the  one  purchased,  a  specimen  of  the  salt  was  in- 
cluded in  the  examination  which  had  been  submitted  by  its  manufac- 
turer to  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry  for  inclusion  with 
New  and  Non-Official  Remedies.  The  results  obtained  in  the  ex- 
amination of  the  several  specimens  are  given  below. 
Each  of  the  specimens  was  a  white,  crystalline,  odorless  powder, 
which  dissolved  in  water  without  leaving  any  residue  to  form  a 
clear  solution  having  an  acid  reaction.  Each  of  the  specimens  was 
free  from  sulphates,  meconates,  codeine,  and  morphine,  but  two  of 
them  appeared  to  contain  traces  of  cryptopine.  The  findings  for  the 
three  specimens  are  given  in  Table  V. 
Table  V. 
Composition  of  Three  Specimens  of  Papaverine  Hydrochloride. 
Roche 
Roche  * 
Merck  f 
Theory 
Moisture  
O.I4 
To.  1 2 
O 
Alkaloid   
90.18 
90.41 
90.38 
90.30 
Hydrochloric  acid  (HC1) .  .  . 
9-75 
9-73 
119.84 
9.70 
Melting-point    of  isolated 
146.80  (corr.) 
146. 70  (corr.) 
147.30  (corr.) 
147° 
*  Purchased  specimen. 
f  Specimen  submitted  to  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry. 
