Rapid  Estimation  of  ghiinia.  371 
25  centigrams  of  precipitate,  bearing  in  mind  that  10  cc.  of  sulphuric 
solution  are  exactly  saturated  by  the  10  cc.  of  the  sucrate  of  lime 
solution. 
It  has  been  mentioned  that  narcotin  does  not  in  any  way  affect  the 
estimation.  Therefore,  knowing  that  it  required  for  the  saturation  of 
10  cc.  of  sulphuric  liquid  either  10  cc.  of  the  sucrate  of  lime  solu- 
tion or  25  centigrams  of  morphia,  I  dissolved  25  centigrams  of  morphia 
and  25  centigrams  of  narcotin  in  20  cc.  of  the  sulphuric  liquid  and 
found  that  in  order  to  saturate  the  excess  of  acid  there  was  required 
exactly  10  cc.  of  solution  of  sucrate  of  lime.  Therefore,  of  the  20 
cc.  employed,  10  cc.  had  been  saturated  by  the  morphia  and  10  cc. 
left  unsaturated  by  it. 
Experiments  made  with  various  precipitates  obtained  gave  the  follow- 
ing results,  25  centigrams  of  precipitate  being  dissolved  in  10  cc.  of 
the  sulphuric  liquid  in  each  case  : 
No.  1  required  o"j  cc.  of  sucrate  of  lime  solution  to  saturate 
uncombined  acid. 
No.  2  required  0*9  cc.  of  sucrate  of  lime  solution  to  saturate 
uncombined  acid. 
No.  3  required  0  6  cc.  of  sucrate  of  lime  solution  to  saturate 
uncombined  acid. 
No.  4  required  0*8  cc.  of  sucrate  of  lime  solution  to  saturate 
uncombined  acid. 
The  pure  morphia  present  is  consequently  expressed  in  the  following 
figures  : 
No.  1    .  .  100  —  7 
No.  2  .  .        100  —  9 
No.  3    .  .  100  —  6 
No.  4  .  .       100  —  8 
I  would  add  that  by  this  process  the  exact  proportion  of  morphia 
is  obtained,  whilst  by  other  methods  the  morphia  weighed  contains 
more  or  less  resin  or  foreign  extractive  matter. 
An  analysis  of  a  mixture  of  morphia  and  narcotin  is  easily  made  by 
dissolving  the  morphia  in  an  excess  of  potash  and  examining  the  solu- 
tion in  a  polarimeter.  Hitherto  the  coloration  of  the  liquor  has  pre- 
vented me  from  obtaining  satisfactory  results  in  the  estimation  of  opium. 
But  I  intend  trying  whether  decolorization  with  animal  charcoal  will 
enable  me  to  solve  this  problem. — Pharm.  Jour.  [Lond.],  May  17, 
l879>  P.  937- 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
July,  1879.  J 
=  93  per  cent 
91 
cc 
CI 
94 
cc 
cc 
92 
cc 
cc 
