Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1901. 
Reaction  for  Morphine. 
353 
THE  LLOYD  REACTION  FOR  MORPHINE.1 
By  Joseph  L.  Mayer,  Phar.D. 
Contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Brooklyn  College  of 
Pharmacy. 
Since  the  publication  of  the  installment  of  Professor  Lloyd's 
"  Stringtown  on  the  Pike,"  which  had  to  do  with  the  trial  scene, 
tests  and  results,  the  journals  have  contained  in  almost  every  issue 
contributions  which  in  one  way  or  another  relate  to  the  well-known 
bichromate  sulphuric,  strychnine  reaction. 
Prominent  among  those  who  have  contributed  articles  on  the 
subject  is  Mr.  Seward  Williams,  who  in  the  April  number  of  the 
Druggists  Circular  elaborates  his  previous  discussion  concerning 
the  possibility  of  mistaking  a  morphine-hydrastine  mixture  for 
strychnine. 
He  concludes  that  "  the  moral  of  the  story  is  not  to  place  too 
much  reliance  on  any  one  of  the  generally  recognized  evidences  of 
organic  poisons." 
In  going  over  the  reactions  he  finds  that  the  morphine-hydrastine 
mixture  with  a  few  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  will,  even 
in  the  absence  of  potassium  bichromate,  produce  the  violet-blue 
color  which  so  nearly  simulates  the  characteristic  strychnine  reac- 
tion that  Professor  Lloyd  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  make  it  the 
theme  of  one  of  the  most  powerful  climaxes  of  his  deservedly 
popular  novel. 
As  a  consequence  Mr.  Williams  proposes  that  "  we  shall  add  to 
our  list  of  alkaloid  color-tests  the  two  just  mentioned  and  know 
them  as  the  Lloyd  reactions  for  morphine  and  hydrastine,  if  agree- 
able to  Professor  Lloyd." 
If  the  unknown  substance  is  suspected  to  be  morphine,  add  a  small 
a  mountof  hydrastine  and  a  few  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid ; 
a  violet-blue  color  appearing  after  five  minutes  indicates  morphine. 
If  hydrastine  is  suspected,  add  to  the  sample  a  small  amount  of 
morphine  and  a  few  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  ;  a  violet- 
blue  color  after  five  minutes  indicates  hydrastine. 
As  a  matter  of  fact,  modern  methods  followed  in  toxicological 
1  Read  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  New  York  State  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion, June  4-S,  '9or,  and  communicated  by  the  author. 
