ExtraBlon of Opium f rem Garden ' Lettuce, 135 



warm regions of Ada, by making in them Kmgijadinal in- 



cifions, from which a milky juice exudes, which, being in- 



fpilTated, forms the officinalopium. 



According to M. Baume, 4 pounds of common opium 



confiftof ft. §. 5» 



Infoluhle matter - - i i o ' 



Extradive matter - - i 15 o 



Refm - - - o 12 O 



Volatile concrete oil - - o 3 7 



Sali?ie matter . - - 001 



ft. 4 o o 



It has been long known that lettuce poflefles narcotic pro- 

 perties ; till lately, however, none had extrafted from it a 

 fubftance polfeffing all the properties of opium. 



Dr. Coxe, of Philadelphia, has proved (American Philofo- 

 phical Tranfadions, vol. iv.) that the infpiffated milky juice 

 of the laBuca fativa^ or common cultivated lettuce of Lin- 

 naeus, is real opium, and, according to every appearance, of 

 a better quality than the eaflern ; for the principal virtues of 

 this medicine are believed to relide in the extradive matter; 

 and, by comparative experiments, it was found that jo grains 

 of extra(Slive matter were taken up by two ounces oF rain 

 water from 20 grains of lettuce opium ; while, from the fame 

 quantity of common opium, only nine grains were taken up 

 by an equal quantity of the fame water. 



The ten grains of the former which were left on the filter, 

 being afFufed with half an ounce of alcohol, and again filtered 

 on the tenth day after, left on the filter feven grains. The 

 quantity of rcfmous matter, then, was three grains. 



The II grains left from the common opium, by a fimilar 

 treatment, were found alfo to contain three grains ; the por- 

 tion infoluble either in water or alcohol being eight grain.s. 



The refin, being afterwards precipitated from the alcohol 

 by the addition of water, that of the lettuce appeared whiter 

 than the other. 



By trials made in the Pennfylvania hofpital, and by. expe- 

 riments made by Dr. Coxe upon himfelf, the lettuce-opium 

 was found to poircfs all the properties of the common. 



The 



