456  Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids.      {a™-JZt,  Sis™" 
Narcotine  is  laevorotatory,  the  specific  rotatory  power  being 
-207.350  in  chloroform. 
If  about  0.01  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  10  Cc.  of  water 
containing  a  few  drops  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  and  a  few  drops 
of  potassium  sulphocyanate  solution  added,  a  white  precipitate 
should  be  produced  (distinction  from  many  other  opium  alkaloids). 
If  about  0.01  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  1  Cc.  of  water 
containing  a  few  drops  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid,  a  few  drops  of 
a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  salicylate  added,  and  the  mixture 
shaken,  a  white  precipitate  should  be  produced  which  soon  collects 
in  resin-like  masses  which  later  become  crystalline  (distinction  from 
many  other  opium  alkaloids). 
If  about  0.01  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  10  Cc.  of  warm 
water  containing  a  few  drops  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid,  the  solu- 
tion cooled,  and  a  few  drops  of  a  25  per  cent  solution  of  sodium 
acetate  added,  a  white  precipitate  should  be  produced  at  once  (distinc- 
tion from  many  other  opium  alkaloids). 
If  about  0.01  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  10  Cc.  of  water 
containing  a  few  drops  of  diluted  hydrochloric  acid  and  a  few  drops 
of  bromine  water  added,  a  yellow  precipitate  should  be  produced 
which  dissolves  on  boiling;  if  more  of  the  bromine  solution  be  added 
in  small  portions  and  the  boiling  repeated  after  each  addition,  a  fine 
rose  color  should  be  produced  (distinction  from  other  opium  alka- 
loids) . 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  0.1  Cc.  of  nitric 
acid  a  yellow  color  should  be  produced. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  0.1  Cc.  of  sul- 
phuric acid,  a  green-yellow  color  should  be  produced;  on  warming 
the  color  becomes  red,  and  on  boiling,  violet. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  0.1  Cc.  of  sul- 
phuric acid  which  contains  a  trace  of  nitric  acid  a  brownish-red 
color  should  be  produced;  this  soon  changes  to  a  blood-red  color 
which  is  very  persistent. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  0.2  Cc."  of  sul- 
phuric acid  in  which  about  0.001  Gm.  of  gallic  acid  has  previously 
been  dissolved  and  the  mixture  heated  cautiously,  a  green  color  should 
be  produced  which  changes  to  deep  blue  on  further  heating. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  narcotine  be  dissolved  in  about  0.1  Cc. 
of  sulphuric  acid  which  contains  a  trace  of  selenious  acid,  a  green 
color  should  be  produced  which  changes  to  greenish  blue,  then  to 
violet  blue,  then  to  brown,  and  finally  to  cherry  red. 
