Researches on morphine. Pt. 1 / by S.B. Schryver and and Frederic H. Lees.

  • Samuel Barnett Schryver
Date:
[1900]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Researches on morphine. Pt. 1 / by S.B. Schryver and and Frederic H. Lees. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    XCI.—Researches on Morphine. Part I. By S. B. Schryver and Frederic H. Lees. Morphine is a subject of considerable interest from a twofold stand¬ point, namely, the chemical and the pharmacological. Our knowledge of the subject from the chemical side is due mainly to L. Knorr and Vongerichten. Older researches have shown that morphine is a phenanthrene deriva¬ tive, and contains two hydroxyl groups, one of a phenolic character, the other alcoholic. On treatment with methyl iodide (two molecular proportions) in the presence of sodium ethoxide, it yields the meth- iodide of its methyl ether (codeine), and the hydroxide, derived from this compound, codeine methohydroxide, C17H1802N* OMe,CH:jOH, on warming with alkalis loses the elements of water, and is converted into methocodeine or inethylmorphimethine, Cl7Hl702N(0Me)*CH3. This substance is a tertiary base, and on beating with acetic anhydride is converted into the acetyl derivative of dimetbyloxethylamine, OH* CH9* CH2*NMe2, and the acetyl derivative of a hydroxymethoxy- phenanthrene, OH* C14H8* OMe. An isomeric product, /Lmethylmorphi- methine, is produced at the same time. The production of acetyl dimethlyoxethylamine in this way is characteristic of derivatives of the closed ring compound, iV-methylmorpholine, ch2-o—ch2 CH2*NMe*CH2 *