454 
NARCEIA. 
the  solution  colorless  in  the  cold;  but,  upon  application  of  heat? 
the  fluid,  after  passing  through  the  intermediate  tints  of  yellow- 
ish-brown, becomes  finally  black. 
7.  The  addition  of  chlorine  water  to  the  solution  of  salts  of 
cinchonia  fails  to  impart  a  color  to  the  fluid  ;  if  ammonia  is  now 
added,  a  yellowish,  white  precipitate  is  formed. 
RECAPITULATION  AND  REMARKS. 
The  alkaloids  of  the  second  group  are«altered  or  precipitated 
by  various  other  reagents  besides  those  mentioned  above ;  the 
reactions,  are,  however,  not  adapted  to  effect  their  individual 
detection  and  separation.  Thus,  for  instance,  bichloride  of 
platinum  produces,  in  the  solutions  of  the  salts  of  the  three  alka- 
loids belonging  to  this  group,  a  yellowish,  white  precipitate  ; 
chloride  of  mercury,  a  white  precipitate  ;  tincture  of  galls,  a 
yellowish,  white,  flocculent  precipitate,  &c,  &c. 
Narcotina  and  quinia  being  soluble  in  ether,  whilst  cinchonia 
is  insoluble  in  that  menstruum,  the  former  may  be  most  readily 
separated  by  this  means  from  the  latter  alkaloid.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  analyst  may  simply  mix  the  solutions  of  the  three 
alkaloids  with  ammonia  in  excess,  then  add  ether,  and  separate 
the  solution  of  quinia  and  narcotina  from  the  undissolved  cin- 
chonia. If  the  ethereal  solution  is  now  evaporated,  the  residue 
dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid  and  a  sufficient  amount  of  water 
to  make  the  dilution  as  1:200,  and  bicarbonate  of  soda  is  then 
added,  the  narcotina  precipitates,  whilst  the  quinia  remains  in 
solution.  By  evaporating  the  solution,  and  treating  the  residue 
with  water,  the  quinia  is  obtained  in  the  free  state. — St.  Louis 
Medical  HejJorter,  April  and  May,  1866. 
(To  be  Continued.') 
NARCEIA. 
M.  Line,  formerly  Interne  de  Hopitaux,  after  a  series  of  ex- 
periments with  narceia  in  the  wards  of  M.  Delpech,  "gives  the 
following  resume  of  his  observations  : 
1st.  Of  all  the  alkaloids  contained  in  opium,  narceia  possesses 
hypnotic  power  to  the  greatest  extent.    In  the  great  majority 
