1282

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

medicine

colourless. They have a bitter taste. Those of them which are employed inwill be described hereafter. _ r vstaH‘ ne

3. Codeia (Codeine ).—So called from KdSeia, a poppy head. It is a white, c „ e jlier-lid, slightly soluble in cold, and still more so in boiling water. It is solo® hod' 11 "

solid

It is insoluble in a cold weak solution of potash. If more codeia be added to ^ t ),ewater than this liquid can dissolve, the excess melts and forms an oily ' a 7 a s a' 1bottom of the vessel; and, by cooling-, a crystalline mass is obtained. It rcaalkali on test papers, and unites with acids to form crystalline salts. Jditi 011 0

From morphia, codeia is distinguished by its not becoming blue on the 2 thesesquichloride of iron. It is also said not to redden nitric acid like morphia-^.^,,specimens of codeia which I have met with became orange-yellow on the a q u tion "Lnitric acid. Moreover, ammonia does not precipitate it from its very diluted til

hydrochloric acid, on account of its solubility in water; and this affords a c tlic r ’separating morphia from codeia. The separation may be more easily effectf - g m° r 'which readily dissolves codeia; or by alkalies, (potash or soda,) which dis pos-phia, but leave codeia. From mecouine it is distinguished by its aqueous s° q-jnC-

sessing marked alkaline properties, as manifested by its action on test,P a P el j; j 0 Jei a ',ture of nutgalls produces a copious precipitate (tannate of codeia) in solutions _ 1)1

Anhydrous codeia, consists of C35 H20 \ 1 Os. It. therefore, contains an a

, tv*' 0

Anhydrous codeia consists of C35 H20 N 1 Os. It, therefore, containsoxygen than morphia does. Its atomic weight is 284. . „f a jns 1

Crystallized in ether it contains no water. But crystallized in water it ratoms of water of crystallization. v-stall' 2 ^.

The salts of codeia have not been much studied. The nitrate readily j^gdei 11 15The tannate is insoluble in water. The double hydrochlorate of morphia an j p bfthe salt at one time sold as hydrochlorate of morphia, by those who prep«^ Jf ; v

rji'nirnrc^c nniFoec TTcm/» a ;* - K„Ttl>nrmaCOlt>»

Gregory’s process. Hence it has been termed by the French pharniacolojGregory. j. e ], G#'

The effects of codeia and its salts have been imperfectly examined by w■” jgory, Barbier, and Magendie; but the results are very contradictory, h- 111 ’. c ; r c id 9 'de Chim.-Mld. ix. 223) says it is a local irritant, becomes absorbed, excites J o( j e ja v* 911tion, and produces convulsions; but that none of the animals on which the )()l ye*' er 'tried were either stupified or paralyzed. Magendie (Formulaire, 87, S me j ( | e rssays it causes sleep, and, when exhibited in large doses, stupor. He eot aS ct *"grain of codeia equivalent to half a grain of morphia: two grains excitej. lC es s^,vomiting. Barbier (Journ. de Chim.-Med. x. 214, & 337) also states it p r ? cauSf s al ,I)r. W. Gregory (Ibid. p. 219) says that, in doses of five or six grains, 1 sea> a 11excitement like that of intoxication, followed in a few hours by depression, 1sometimes vomiting. aIlt l a'*?-

Magendie proposes to use it as a substitute for morphia, to procure sleep ypain, in doses of from one to three grains. A syrup of codeia (compose' ^ 1°grs. xxiv.; distilled water, fjiv.; sugar, Jviij.) has been used in hoopiug-^j'^pen 1dose for a child, of about seven years of age, is a tea-spoonful. It has uirritation of the gastric mucous membrane (Journ. de Pharm. xxiv. 144.) , ea tcT P‘ 1 Y4. Narcotina (Narcotine ).—So called from yapKarinbs, narcotic. The g* , v jtli 0 ^of the narcolina of opium is in the free state, as it is removable by Ct I rVS tall i ’i"'rthe aid of either acids or alkalies. It is a white, inodorous substance, j e tl>in prisms,—distinguished from morphia by being insipid, very ■ r'e snuief'^a-msoluble in alkalies, by its not becoming blue on the addition of the s <1^ yi°|of iron, by its not decomposing iodic acid, and, when quite pure, by lts .j jjssid'V,ing a brown colour when treated by chlorine and ammonia. Nitric [>y "V,

it, and acquires an orange tint. It does not affect vegetable colours;character is readily distinguished from both morphia and codeia. It 1 ,, ,,i c oh°

cold water, but dissolves in 400 parts of boiling water,—in 100 parts of eo t c ‘ ())lS ists ^or in 24 parts of boiling alcohol. The volatile oils also dissolve it. ^ .pi® l> a048 H24 N 015. Its atomic weight, therefore, is 446. The salts of nar ^ ell li 11 ! 1 . 1 ^,'

been blit little examined. They are more bitter than those of morphia, f el a jkal ,0 ‘/•„_ _ t._ ..c _„«»r1 hv tile ....At''

and are precipitated from their solutions by infusion of nutgalls and by^

soluble”!‘tli*

The hydrochlorate is crystallizable. Both this and the sulphate are very sum j to 1Narcotina is extracted from the residue of the opium which has been su J or h)' 1 Jactiou of cold water. This is treated with water acidulated with either a ? e .' e tr e °. i;lchloric acid, and to the filtered solution ammonia is added. The precip jj a re ot Y,.with boiling alcohol yields narcotina, which deposits as the liquor cools. j caV es j. emay be separated from morphia, by ether, which dissolves the narcotina, | ca ve sinnmi,;,, i>„ .. solution of potash, which dissolves the morphia, bu

morphi

i>y