THE WHITE POPPY.
1281
*f>l ee R »Hu (Morphina; Morphine; Morphium ). So called from Morpheus, the goda "‘ . 'Y^elius, Fr. Hoffman, and Neumann, speak of a crystalline salt obtained,0 j!s/e r ° U ^ 1011 °f opium ; but they formed no correct notions of its nature. Thenotlcc( l by Ludwig, in 1688, may, perhaps, have been morphia,^onic “ a r • )eculiar t0 the P°l’Py tribe. It exists in opium in combination withtXis ten Ce ■ su lpburic acids. Doubts, indeed , liave been expressed with respect to its( ittet . ], 1,1 °P Iu m, some chemists having suggested that it was a product rather thani’ure ttl< ; accuracy of these views has been satisfactorily disproved.
''OtH j s j) IOr phia presents itself under the form of transparent crystals, whose primaryl’apcr e r ight rhombic prism. On turmeric paper, as well as on reddened litmushi'c iYP' 1 ** has an alkaline reaction. Notwithstanding that it is insoluble, or nearly'’iian otl ° Wa ter, it has a distinctly hitter taste. Boiling water dissolves a little more? n hvd r e 'hondredtli part, of its weight of morphia. It dissolves in 40 parts of coldhi eth e f US a iooho], and in 30 parts of boiling alcohol; hut it is insoluble, or nearly so,**d ' It >s soluble in the oils (fixed and volatile), in solutions of potash and soda,
&)sq l v , • . 4
’"Ivb,. • ’ Dut >n much smaller quantity, in solution of ammonia: lastly, it readily dis->C. ,ns »1phuric ' ' " • ' ua.. u..u '.u ......i/ i...
* r hans
hydrochloric, and acetic acids. When heated, the crystals lose
l( isi 0 i “ lls P are, icy and water of crystallization ; a strong heat causes them to enter into
,m ■ . . ’• 1 '. i— a ml w i 1 i c i 1
ke resin,
'■' c » 0 ie s „,'j'! llc h stat e they form a yellow liquid similar to melted sulphur, amile aV p llte a, ’tl crystalline on cooling. Heated in the open air, it burns lik1’lif. | () ]] ( a f ar bonaceous residuum.
1 ^ I st. A ,/'"i„g are the chief characteristics of morphia:—
, *ias) ^ feddens morphia or its salts (the chlorate excepted, according to„}■ Ullt forms with them an orange-red solution, which is much darkened by(lotion and which becomes yellow after a little time. By the prolonged
a re 'j mor phia in nitric acid, we obtain oxalic acid.— Fallacies. Nitric acid pro-c| ai lc <ji]f 0Ur "'tl' several other bodies, as hrucia, commercial strychnia, several“ye* op „p) as °d of pimento aud oil of cloves), some resinous substances, infusion of
jfiu
«r of
pimento, &c.
:">n i s /P aci d is deoxidized by morphia, iodine being set free. Hence, when _
. *<ie co aet to a solution of iodic acid, the liquor becomes reddish brown, and formsi.!!! l Wn„<Y_° ai ! t ' (i°dide of starch ) with starch. — Fallacies. Sulphuretted hydrogen,
this
; ibl|
*01(1
s *cid, phosphorous acids, aud some other agents, have a similar effect on
of Xe^V^hloride of iron dropped on crystals of morphia renders them blue. The-j s ° f l»lii a Produced on the acetate and oxalate, and slightly on the sulphate ofpitied- p? obvious effect is produced on the hydrochlorate of morphia until an alkali„ , rt 'd th 1 10 nature of the blue compound is not completely understood. Possibly,1 ^'de 0 p . ororphia is oxidized, and the compound thus produced unites with somea p Co r0n '■ nor phite of iron). If water in excess, or acids, or alkalies, he added to
a^’tle w^Pound, the colour is destroyed.— Fallacies. Tannic and gallic acids with
^tchln.-j 1 ”’ ai| d infusion of cloves or of pimento, also form blue compounds with
^‘My Th eofiron -
>,n So( .t«tc carbonates occasion a white precipitate (carbonate of morphia) in'iih^l.V. Sol s °hible ruorpbitic salts.
lr *l J le 0B of ammonia precipitates morphia from its solution in acids. A con-
ik. ev«~__ .. . .. . • , t . .._
»*1
* 1(1
(l n,l <a (, P Ce * s °* ammonia redissolves the precipitate.
5 /’ l, ly. ,'«•««« no precipitate until beat be applied to drive off the excess of alkali.h^’Phia)• Slon °f nut a alls, or a solution of tannic acid, causes a precipitate (tannate
In very dilute solutions,
, pmai °f nut'jalls, or a solution of tannic acid, causes a precipitate (tannatej 1 ® * c m Ul neutra l solutions of the morphine salts. The precipitate is soluble in
i ^ *bb a'u
if l!. a ^ c ?b 0 ^ c solution of carbazotic acid causes no precipitate in an alcoholic
>i„„
11,^1 y. U j f m ° r l ) hia.
'* **Un(u ^ so ^ u li°n of chlorine he mixed with a solution of morphia, or its salts, andla added, a dark brown colour is developed.
He
^Position
of morphia is as follows
V? f bon Atoms.
..
*Vge n
'Sen.
■<**» .
r ' ,c ''own
Per cent .. 71*91
6*854*80.. 16*44
292
100*00
Morphia.Y> ater.. .
Eg. Wt. rcr cent.
292 _ 94*2
.. 18.... 5*8
Cryst.Morphia 1 .... 310 ..
100*00
salts are, for the most part, crystallizable. When pure, they are
4 N