552 
Deodorized  Tincture  of  Opium. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  November,  1898. 
alcoholic  solution  of  the  extract  yielded  a  precipitate  when  mixed 
with  water,  but  it  could  scarcely  have  been  resin  since  neither  aque- 
ous nor  alcoholic  solution  of  potassium  hydrate  dissolved  it.  This 
extract  contained  2-38  per  cent,  of  sugars,  calculated  as  glucose,  and 
07  per  cent.,  calculated  as  saccharose. 
Water  removed  3*60  per  cent,  of  organic  solids  from  the  root. 
This  amount  included  2-42  per  cent,  of  mucilage,  and  a  trace  of 
dextrin.    Sugars  were  not  found  in  this  extract. 
A  weak  solution  of  sodium  hydrate  was  the  next  solvent  applied 
to  the  root.  It  extracted  1 5-88  per  cent,  of  organic  matter.  A  por- 
tion of  the  alkaline  solution  was  acidified  with  acetic  acid  and  pre- 
cipitated with  five  times  its  volume  of  alcohol.  A  precipitate 
amounting  to  7-30  per  cent,  of  the  root  was  obtained.  Lassaigne's 
test  gave  no  indication  of  nitrogen  in  this  precipitate,  consequently 
it  was  composed  of  mucilage. 
The  root  yielded  4*88  per  cent,  of  soluble  organic  matter  to  a 
weak  solution  of  hydrochloric  acid  in  water.  This  extract  contained 
2-37  per  cent,  of  the  substance  known  as  pararabin. 
Starch  was  present  in  the  air-dry  root  to  the  extent  of  9-46  per 
cent. 
The  air-dry  material  contained  7-94  per  cent,  of  moisture,  and 
8-12  per  cent,  of  ash. 
The  cellulose,  lignin  and  allied  substances  amounted  to  32  04  per 
cent. 
SUGGESTED  PROCESS  FOR  DEODORIZED  TINCTURE  OF 
OPIUM.1 
By  K.  It.  Patch. 
At  the  Montreal  meeting  I  was  requested  to  report  upon  this 
process  which  was  stated  to  be  as  follows : 
Granulated  opium  100  grammes. 
Benzinum  U.S.P  400  c.c. 
Macerate  24  hours  and  decant.  Macerate  residue  with  200  c.c. 
of  benzine  for  24  hours,  decant  upon  a  filter,  wash  the  filter  with  200 
c.c.  of  benzine  and  dry  the  opium  at  a  gentle  heat.  Macerate  the 
opium  in  300  c.c.  of  warm  water  for  24  hours,  transfer  to  a  perco- 
1  Presented  at  the  Baltimore  Meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Asso- 
ciation. 
