354 
Reaction  for  Morphine. 
A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1901. 
analysis  have  so  taken  advantage  of  the  solubility  of  the  alkaloids 
in  the  solvents  employed  in  their  separation,  that  even  if  some 
color  reactions  are  common  to  several  alkaloids,  unless  these  alka- 
loids are  separated  in  the  same  step  in  the  examination,  the  chances 
of  error  are  minimized. 
It  is  the  possibility  of  making  an  error  that  emphasizes  the 
necessity  of  having  an  unlimited  number  of  tests  of  identity. 
Experiments  recently  made,  prove  that  chloroform  will  dissolve  out 
of  a  solution  sufficient  morphine  and  hydrastine  to  react  violet- 
blue  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  and  potassium  bichromate. 
While  it  is  true  that  the  reaction  differs  from  that  obtained  with 
strychnine  in  persisting  some  time,  instead  of  being  evanescent,  it 
is  plain  to  see  how  a  mistake  might  easily  be  made. 
Had  "  Professor  Drew,"  the  chemist  in  "  the  Stringtown  poison- 
ing case,"  been  more  observant,  and  applied  other  tests  than  the 
bichromate  one,  his  testimony  would  not  have  supplied  the  power- 
ful link  it  did,  in  the  prosecution's  strong  chain  of  circumstantial 
evidence.  Tests  of  identity  and  confirmatory  ones  are  not  only 
necessary  in  examinations  of  this  character,  but  are  required  by  the 
pharmacist  to  enable  him  to  identify  the  alkaloids  he  purchases 
and  dispenses.  For  example,  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  re- 
quires that  quinine  "  should  not  produce  a  red  color  with  nitric 
acid  (difference  from  morphine)." 
These  facts  suggested  to  the  writer,  that  if  hydrastine  when 
mixed  with  any  alkaloid  other  than  morphine,  in  the  presence  of 
concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  after  five  minutes'  stirring  failed  to  pro- 
duce the  violet-blue  color,  the  reaction  would  be  a  valuable  addi- 
tion to  the  tests  for  differentiating  morphine  from  other  alkaloids. 
The  following  are  the  results  of  the  experiments  I  made  to  deter- 
mine this  question. 
The  conditions  and  method  of  applying  the  tests  were  alike 
throughout,  and  consisted  in  mixing  approximately  one  part  of 
hydrastine  with  eight  parts  of  the  other  alkaloid. 
After  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid 
the  mixture  was  stirred  with  a  glass  rod  for  at  least  five  minutes. 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  many  alkaloids  give  colorations  for  the 
first  few  minutes  which  are  totally  different  from  the  end  reaction, 
the  direction  to  "  stir  at  least  fives  minutes  "  must  be  strictly 
observed. 
