Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The formula of morphine / by R.B. Dott and Ralph Stockman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
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![1888.] Mr Dott and Dr Stockman on Morphine. as obtained by him from morphine. At present we are only con- cerned with the monoacetyl compound, represented by the formula C3,H37(C2H30)N20,. It was prepared by the action of acetic anhydride on morphine, when a considerably smaller quantity ot the anyhdride is taken than is required to form diacetylmorphme. The product resembles /?-diacetylmorphine in every particular, save that it yields different numbers on analysis. The numbers given by Wright agree only fairly well with theory. That the substance is truly a monoacetyl morphine, and not a mixture of morphine and diacetyl derivatives, is shown by the fact that the base itself is soluble in ether; whereas morphine is practically not soluble in that menstruum. Moreover, a mixture of ^ diacetyl- morphine hydrochloride and morphine hydrochloride in equal quantities dissolved in a little water, allows almost the whole of the latter salt to crystallise out, and does not dry up to a varnish over sulphuric acid, but to a crystalline mass wetted by a syrup, which finally dries up to a glaze over the crystals. Wright obtained from the chloroplatinate 19-45 per cent. Pt; the mono- acetylmorphine compound requiring 19-29 per cent, of metal. We have repeated Wright's experiments, with the results under- noted. 15 grams of morphine were dried at 120° C, and thoroughly mixed with 1-25 gram acetic anhydride. The mixture was then warmed on the water-bath for half an hour, treated with water and with sodium carbonate in slight excess, and the whole shaken up with ether. On separating and evaporating the ether a non- crystalline residue remained, to which dilute hydrochloric acid was added in quantity just sufficient to render faintly acid. The strong solution showed no signs of crystallisation even after the lapse of two days. To a portion of the solution platinic chloride was added, and the washed precipitate dried at 120° C. On ignition 0-124 gram gave 0-023 gram Pt = a yield of 18-54 per cent. C^^\i^^{C.^^f)\^f>^^.Vmf,\. gives 18-48 per cent. Pt. . C34H3.(C2H30)N20y.PtH2Clo gives 19-53 per cent. Pt. In this experiment there is no evidence tliat any monoacetyl- morphine was formed, although the conditions were most favourable for its formation. The solution must have contained either diacetyl- morphine or a mixture of tetracetylmorphine and morphine. Wright's assumption, that the supposed monoacetyl morphine could](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2190182x_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
