462  Examination  of  Opium  Alkaloids.  j 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
October,  1915. 
mus  paper  and  is  laevorotatory,  the  specific  rotatory  power  being 
-  168.320. 
If  added  to  an  aqueous  solution  of  thebaine  hydrochloride,  silver 
nitrate  should  produce  a  white,  curdy  precipitate  which  is  insoluble 
in  nitric  acid. 
If  about  o.Oi  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  5 
Cc.  of  water  and  a  few  drops  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium 
salicylate  added,  a  white,  voluminous  precipitate  of  thebaine  sali- 
cylate should  be  produced  (distinction  from  the  salts  of  many  other 
opium  alkaloids). 
If  about  0.01  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  "dissolved  in  5 
Cc.  of  water  and  1  Cc.  of  chlorine  water  added,  followed  by  an  ex- 
cess of  ammonia  water,  a  reddish-brown  color  should  be  produced 
(distinction  from  narceine  salts,  which  give  an  orange- red  color). 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in 
0.1  Cc.  of  nitric  acid,  a  yellow  color  should  be  produced. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  o.i 
Cc.  of  hydrochloric  acid,  an  orange-yellow  color  should  be  produced. 
If  about  0.001  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  0.1 
Cc.  of  sulphuric  acid,  a  blood-red  color  should  be  produced;  on 
warming  this  changes  to  orange  yellow  and  eventually  to  olive  green 
(distinction  from  the  salts  of  other  opium  alkaloids). 
If  0.1  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  10  Cc.  of 
water  and  a  few  drops  of  ferric  chloride  solution  added,  a  red  color- 
ation should  not  be  produced  (absence  of  meconic  acid  or  me- 
conates)  ;  the  further  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  potassium  ferri- 
cyanide  solution  should  not  immediately  produce  a  blue  color  (ab- 
sence of  morphine  salts) . 
If  0.1  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  10  Cc.  of 
water,  a  few  drops  of  a  saturated,  aqueous  solution  of  iodic  acid 
added,  and  the  mixture  shaken  with  2  Cc.  of  chloroform,  the  chloro- 
form layer  should  not  be  colored  violet  (absence  of  morphine  salts). 
If  0.1  Gm.  of  finely-powdered  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  shaken 
with  10  Cc.  of  a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium  hydroxide,  the 
mixture  allowed  to  stand  for  an  hour,  filtered,  and  2  Cc.  of  am- 
monium chloride  solution  added  to  the  filtrate,  no  crystals  should 
separate  within  24  hours  (absence  of  morphine  salts). 
If  0.1  Gm.  of  thebaine  hydrochloride  be  dissolved  in  40  Cc.  of 
water,  a  few  drops  of  freshly-prepared  potassium  ferricyanide  solu- 
tion added,  and  the  mixture  shaken,  a  yellow  precipitate  should  not 
form  within  10  minutes  (limit  of  papaverine  salts). 
