Am  jineVm"1''}    Assay  of  Opium  and  its  Preparations.  265 
strength  small  amounts  of  ammonium  chloride  and  carrying  out  the 
assay  with  or  without  the  addition  of  KOH,  that  in  every  case  where 
the  KOH  solution  was  used,  it  gave  a  larger  yield,  corresponding 
closely  to  the  amount  of  morphine  originally  used. 
The  amount  of  ammonium  compounds  present  varies  with  each  lot 
of  opium  and  after  a  number  of  trials  5  c.c.  has  been  shown  to  be 
ample. 
In  reference  to  the  solution  of  morphine  of  known  strength  used, 
above  referred  to,  I  would  add  that  a  definite  amount  of  morphine 
was  dissolved  in  sufficient  hydrochloric  acid  and  to  simulate  as  near 
as  possible  a  tincture  of  opium,  F.  E.  gentian  and  alcohol  were  added 
to  it.  While,  of  course,  the  other  constituents  of  opium  were  lack- 
ing it  gave  a  preparation  containing  at  least  some  of  the  features 
of  the  tincture. 
COTTON  OR  PAPER  ? ' 
Experiments  were  conducted  with  a  view  to  ascertain  if  paper 
possessed  any  advantage  over  cotton  in  retarding  the  passage  of  the 
small  morphine  crystals.  Results  have  shown  that  there  is  practi- 
cally nothing  gained  in  the  use  of  paper  ;  in  fact,  in  one  or  two 
instances,  the  apparent  yield  was  in  excess  of  the  quantity  used, 
due  to  the  inability  to  thoroughly  wash  the  paper.  If  care  is  ob- 
served in  placing  the  cotton,  it  will  retain  all  the  crystals. 
The  better  plan  is  to  place  the  cotton  in  the  funnel  loosely  and 
only  force  the  lower  portion  into  the  neck  of  the  funnel,  leaving  the 
balance  fluffy.  If  the  whole  pledget  is  forced  into  the  neck  tightly, 
the  flow  will  be  retarded  to  such  an  extent  as  to  vitiate  the  results, 
through  the  evaporation  of  the  ether  containing  the  narcotine. 
WASHING  WITH  ETHER. 
Stevens  makes  no  provision  for  the  complete  removal  of  narcotine, 
which  also  remains  behind  if  in  any  way  the  passage  of  the  liquid 
is  retarded.  Experiments  carried  out  along  these  lines  disclose  that 
the  apparent  yield  of  morphine  is  greater  in  the  process  without 
subsequent  washing  with  ether  than  when  it  is  used.  As  morphine 
is  so  slightly  soluble  in  ether,  and  as  only  a  slight  rotation  is  directed, 
the  solubility  of  the  morphine  in  the  ether  used  is  practically  nil 
and  the  function  it  serves  is  to  remove  the  solution  of  narcotine  by 
pushing  it  out,  as  it  were. 
