AmWyr/™9a.rm }       Rapid  Estimation  of  Morphia.  369 
sternutatory  amorphous  mass,  closely  resembling  the  veratralbia  simi- 
larly obtained  from  V.  album  roots;  it  gave  on  analysis,  however, 
C32H49N09,  the  formula  of  cevadina,  and  on  saponification  it  yielded 
about  the  theoretical  quantity  of  cevadic  acid  with  a  trace  of  veratric 
acid.  The  following  table  represents  the  approximate  yield  of  the  dif- 
ferent bases  from  the  two  roots  per  kilo. 
V.  album.  V.  viride. 
Jervia,  1*30  0*20 
Pseudojervia,                           0^40  0*15 
Rubijervia,                              0*25  o'oz 
Veratralbia,                             2*20  trace 
Veratria,                                 0*05  less  than  0  004 
Cevadina,  apparently  absent  0*43 
4*20  o  80 
The  jervia  and  pseudojervia  from  V.  viride  agreed  in  melting-point, 
properties,  analytical  numbers,  etc.,  with  the  specimens  obtained  from 
V.  album. — Pharm.  Journ.  and  Trans.,  May  31,  1879. 
PROCESS  FOR  THE  RAPID  ESTIMATION  OF  MORPHIA 
IN  OPIUM.1 
By  A.  Petit. 
The  errors  and  difficulties  inherent  to  the  various  processes  followed 
in  the  estimation  of  morphia  in  opium  have  frequently  been  pointed 
out,  one  of  the  best  grounded  objections  being  certainly  that  which  is 
based  on  the  length  of  the  various  processes.  The  following  method 
appears  to  me  to  exclude  most  of  the  causes  of  the  errors  noticed  by 
authors  ;  whilst  the  duration  of  the  experiment,  which  does  not  exceed 
two  hours,  will  facilitate  assays  and  the  commercial  transactions  depend- 
ing on  them,  which  are  often  rendered  impossible  by  the  length  of  the 
analysis. 
A  comparative  investigation  of  the  process  now  proposed  and  of  that 
of  Guillermond  has  given  results  always  to  the  advantage  of  the  new 
method. 
The  mode  of  operating  is  as  follows  :  Take  15  grams  of  the  opium 
to  be  assayed,  suspend  it  in  75  grams  of  distilled  water  and  afterwards 
throw  it  upon  a  filter.  Take  55  grams  of  the  filtrate,  which  would 
represent  10  grams  of  opium,  add  3  cc.  of  ammonia,  and  agitate. 
1  Journal  de  Pharmacte  et  de  Chimie  [4],  xxix.  159. 
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