1817

German pharmacist Friedrich Wilhelm Sertűrner isolates morphine from opium and identifies it as a salifiable (capable of reacting with an acid to form a salt) organic base; it was recognized by Gay-Lussac and Robiquet, in response to Sertűrner’s paper, as signifying a new class of compounds: the plant alkalis. The category of plant bases in general or plant alkalis in particular did not exist prior to 1817; all known bases and alkalis pre-1817 mineral substances (potash, soda, ammoniac) (Lesch II,308-310). In 1805-06, Sertűrner had isolated from opium a “principle” that, in animal experiments had marked narcotic properties, and which he named principium somniferum. He described it as having an “almost alkaline-like character,” but did not state that it was an alkali, reserving the problem for further investigation (313).