554 
Deodorized  Tincture  of  Opium. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I  November,  1898. 
Sample  No.  2. — Purchased  as  gasoline,  had  a  sp.  gr.  of  0-6886  @ 
i5°C. 
1000  c.c.  yielded  95  c.c.  of  distillate  below  500  C. 
190  c.c.  "  "  between  500  C.  and  6o°  C. 
375  c.c.  r*       "  "      6o°  C.  and  730  C. 
340  c.c.  "       "       above  730  C. 
Sample  No.  j. — Purchased  as  gasoline,  had  a  sp.  gr.  of  0-650  @ 
150  C. 
1000  c.c.  yielded  750  c.c.  of  distillate  below  500  C. 
140  c.c.-"       "       between  500  C.  and  6o°  C. 
60  c.c.  "       "  "       6o°  C.   "    730  C. 
50  c.c.  "       "        above  730  C. 
The  mixed  fractions  boiling  below  6o°  C.  forming  a  mixture  hav- 
ing a  sp.  gr.  of  0-6450  @  1 50  C.  was  employed  in  the  process. 
Experiment  No.  1. — 500  grammes  of  No.  40  opium,  assaying  16-1 
per  cent,  morphine,  was  treated  exactly  as  suggested  in  proposed 
process.  The  benzine-washed  opium  was  dried  in  a  drying  closet 
at  550  C.  for  three  days,  then  made  into  5000  c.c,  of  deodorized 
tincture,  sample  of  which  is  submitted  as  No.  6. 
It  assayed  but  1*334  Per  cent,  morphine.  The  ether  washings 
from  100  c.c.  used  in  assay  gave  a  residue  of  0-720  yielding  an 
abundance  of  narcotine.  The  finished  product  has  an  odor  of  gaso- 
line. It  is  evident  that  more  benzine  must  be  used,  that  it  is  very 
difficult  to  get  rid  of  the  odor,  and  that  instead  of  instructing  to 
percolate  100  grammes  to  800  c.c,  the  directions  should  be  to  perco- 
late to  exhaustion,  evaporate  to  800  c.c.  and  add  200  c.c.  of  alcohol. 
It  is  difficult  to  decant  the  benzine  without  carrying  through  the 
filter  some  portion  of  the  opium  in  suspension,  as  noted  in  the 
accompanying  sample  of  benzine  washings. 
Experiment  No.  2. — 100  grammes  of  No.  40  opium,  assaying  16 
per  cent,  morphine,  was  macerated  with  frequent  shaking  for  24 
hours  in  700  c.c.  of  benzine,  the  benzine  decanted,  the  residue 
macerated  12  hours  with  350  c.c.  of  benzine,  the  benzine  decanted, 
the  residue  washed  upon  a  filter  with  350  c.c,  of  benzine  and  the 
opium  dried  several  hours  at  70  C.  The  residual  opium  weighed 
91  grammes.  If  there  had  been  no  loss  of  morphine  in  the  process, 
it  should  have  assayed  17  58  per  cent,  by  the  equation 
91  grammes  :  100  grammes  :  :  16  per  cent.  :  17-58  per  cent. 
It  did  assay  16-54  per  cent.,  showing  an  appreciable  loss.  The 
