Jacobs,+Erik1

Morphine Structural Formula: Chemical Formula: C 17 H 19 NO3 Boiling Point: 254 Degrees Celsius Melting Point: 200 Degrees Celsius Density: 1.31

The uses of morphine have been traced back to Byzantine times, where it was mentioned in a battle journal from the overthrowing of the Ottoman Empire through the battle of Constantinople. being used to relieve pain in battle wounds.

Along with this, is it used for pain resulting from: Heart Attacks Sickle Cell Crisis Pre/post Surgical Procedures Kidney Stones Severe Chronic Pain (Cancer) Trauma Back Pain

Source: The straw that comes from the Poppy Plant.

A Hungarian chemist, [|János Kabay], found and internationally patented a method to extract morphine from [|poppy straw]. They use Sulfuric Acid to extract the Morphine from the plant, which is stronger than the Meconic Acid in the plant, but weak enough to not begin reactions with the morphine. They do this 6-8 times before they move onto the next step. In the next step, they use Ammonium Hydroxide or Sodium Bicarbonate to precipitate the Morphine out of the Sulfuric Acid/morphine solution that was formed in the second step. After this, the remaining solid needs to separate the actual morphine from the other alkaloids that precipitate with it. Because the inventor of this process was Hungarian, Hungary supplied 60% of Europe's morphine in the 50's and 60's.

Physical Properties: Appears in solid form as a white powder. Crystaline, odorless and slightly soluble in water. Burning May produce Carbon Monoxide, Carbon DIoxide or Nitrogen Oxides.

http://bulkpharm.mallinckrodt.com/_attachments/msds/MORID.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphine

Erik, I like how in depth you went into the extraction of morphine and showed it in a step by step process. Also all the information is clearly shown and easily read. But a lot of the information shown was in a list and i wasn't quite as fond of that.