ALOINE.
Aloine has been introduced into the practice of medicine in Edinburgh, and the Messrs. Smith have already (June) sold a quarter of a hundred weight of it. It is five times more active than good aloes—a single grain producing all the effect of a large aloetic pill; the Edinburgh physicians describe it as acting “tuto, cito, et jucunde,” safely, speedily, and pleasantly. If this is meant altogether seriously, in the second of the characteristics it presents a marked contrast with the crude drug. From the convenience with which it may be exhibited, it bids fair to come into general and extensive use.
Action of Sulphuric Acid on the insoluble residue left by Opium, exhausted by water. Formation of a new Alkaloid, by M. STANISLAS MARTIN.
The residue of opium submitted to fermentation, affords us a substance which has a great analogy to paramorphia; this substance has since been studied by M. A. Guergy. The account of the labor of that chemist has been reproduced in the review of the Journal de Pharmacie, 1849.
Our second operation consists in treating the residue of opium exhausted by water, with water acidulated with sulphuric acid. The result is the formation of an alkali which has many of the chemical properties of narcotine, but which differs from it completely by its insolubility in ether.
This alkali has no relation with codeine or narceine; besides we obtain an extractive matter, soluble in all proportions in water, to which it communicates the property of frothing like soap.
The following is the method of proceeding. The residue of opium, exhausted with water, is boiled in distilled water acidulated with sulphuric acid, after ten minutes ebullition it has the appearance of a thick magma; it is strained with strong expression; when the colature is cold it is filtered through paper.
The colature is highly colored; its odor is similar to that of opium, its taste is exceedingly bitter.
Ammonia is added until litmus paper is no longer altered; the liquid is filtered, the precipitate washed with distilled water, and permitted to dry; afterwards it is boiled with a sufficient quantity of rectified alcohol and again filtered. The alcoholic solution deposits on cooling, numerous needle like crystals, colored by a brownish bitter resin. It is purified in the ordinary manner.