66 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
taken up. The insoluble parts consisted of ammoniacal salts, 
sulphate of potash, and black extractive matter. The alcoholic 
solution contained meconine, narceine, and much codeine; all 
however contaminated with a black matter, which it was neces- 
sary to get rid of; this was effected by adding a fresh portion 
of alcohol of 38° to 40°, and continuing to add it as long as any 
precipitate was formed ; the black matter was partly dissolved 
in the weak alcohol, and was precipitated on the addition of 
the concentrated spirit; this retained in solution the meconine, 
and the organic alkalies in the state of hydrochlorates. As to 
the narceine, it was remarkable, that although very soluble in 
strong alcohol, it was almost wholly carried down with the 
extractive matter. To separate it, the precipitate was treated 
with alcohol 40° B. and at a boiling temperature, the extrac- 
tive matter became indurated, whilst the narceine was dis- 
solved; the hot solution was filtered, and afterwards distilled 
to separate the excess of alcohol; the remainder, on cooling, 
afforded the narceine in a crystalline state. 
The separation of the morphia, meconine and codeine dis- 
solved by the cold alcohol, was effected by the method pre- 
viously described. The mode of operating just spoken of, 
will permit the manufacturing chemist to derive much advan- 
tage from those mother waters of morphia, which have hitherto 
been considered of no value; it is also applicable, with slight 
modifications, to the dark coloured mother waters resulting 
from the process of Dr. Gregory; considered in a scientific 
point of view, it is of interest, as it confirms the existence of 
narceine, and tends to demonstrate that the codeine of M. 
Robiquet is really an immediate principle of opium, and not 
the product of a reaction. In fact, one of the surest modes of 
ascertaining whether a substance exists in a formed state in an 
organic product, and is not the result of a reaction, is to en- 
deavour to obtain it by different modes of operating^ by men- 
strua, which cannot react on the elements of the original sub- 
stance, and by agents whose reactions are diametrically opposed 
to each other. If, by these means, an identical substance is 
separated, it may be assumed as certain, that it existed in a 
formed state. 
