A formulary for the preparation and medical administration of certain new remedies / Translated from the French ... with annotations and additional articles, by James Manby Gully.

  • Magendie, François, 1783-1855
Date:
1835
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A formulary for the preparation and medical administration of certain new remedies / Translated from the French ... with annotations and additional articles, by James Manby Gully. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    42/228 (page 34)
    NARCEINE AND MECONINE. NARCEINE AND MECONINE. Narceine was discovered in 1832 by M. Pelletier, and meconine about the same time, by M. Couerbe. They are both obtained from the ammoniacal waters after the precipitation of morphia, which are evaporated to a thick syrup, and left for several weeks, by which time a mass of granular crystals is deposited. These are pressed and treated with boiling alcohol, the fluid is distilled, and a yellowish crystallized residue is pro¬ cured, again pressed, redissolved in alcohol, and filtered with animal charcoal to ensure their whiteness. These are crystals of narceine and meconine combined with a little narcotine, which is separated by boiling water, and the meconine is separated by ether, which dissolves it and leaves the narceine. Chemical properties of Narceine. It is white, without smell, crystallizes in long needles, has a bitter and somewhat metallic taste. Acids de¬ stroy it if concentrated ; diluted with a half of water they combine with it and produce various colours, at first causing a beautiful blue colour, and afterwards upon withdrawing the water by chloride of lime, a rose colour is produced. Nitric acid changes it to oxalic acid. Hence M. Couerbe gave it the name of “ vege¬ table cameleon.” M. Pelletier states the composition of narceine as: At. Comp. Carbon. 54.73 = 1(3 54.08 Azote . 4.S3 = 1 3.92 Hydrogen. 6.52 = 24 6.62 Oxygen . 34.42 = 8 35.37