VII. Researches into the chemical constitution of narcotine and of its products of decomposition.—Part II
In this memoir the following reactions have been studied:— 1. The Action of Hydrochloric and Acids on Opianic Acid . When strong hydrochloric or hydriodic acid acts at 100° for some time on opianic acid, iodide or chloride of methyl is evolved and a new acid formed, C 10 H 10 O 5 + HCl= C 9 H 8 O 5 + CH 3 Cl. We propose to call this acid methyl nor-opianic acid, as it stands intermediate between opianic acid and the normal opianic acid:— Normal opianic acid ....... C 8 H 6 O 5 Methyl nor-opianic acid ..... C 9 H 8 O 5 Opianic acid or dimethyl nor-opianic acid. C 10 H 10 O 5 The new acid is soluble in cold water, but much more so in hot, from which it crystallizes on cooling with 2½ molecules of water. Like hypogallic acid it strikes a dark blue with sesquichloride of iron; but on addition of ammonia in excess, alight-red solution is produced, differing, therefore, from the hypogallic-aeid blue, with which ammonia becomes bloodred. From the analysis of the silver-salt it appears that methyl noropianic acid is monobasic.