CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 189 



and a somewhat similar substance prepared from the poplar bark ; 

 which articles have heretofore been extensively used for like purposes. 

 The ingenuity consists in the fact, that it is' much more difficult to 

 detect the adulterations when effected by the admixture of mannite^ 

 than when by the admixture of salicine, &c., while the former can be 

 furnished for less than one fourth of the expense of the latter. 



For some years past an extensive chemical establishment has been 

 in operation at Brussels, in Belgium, built up at great expense and 

 care, and expressly designed for the manufacture, on a large scale, of 

 imitations of all the most important foreign chemical preparations used 

 in medicine ; while, at the same time, an agent Avas travelling in this 

 country making sales and soliciting orders in all the principal towns 

 on our seaboard. The articles were prepared and put up with con- 

 summate skill and neatness; and the imitation was so perfect that it 

 was impossible for the unsuspecting purchaser to distinguish them 

 from the genuine, notwithstanding that in some instances they did 

 not contain over five per cent, of the substance represented by the 

 Jabel. Since the law went into effect, at the port of New York, not 

 a single package has been presented for entry. Dr. Bailey states, 

 however, that he has been informed that the persons formerly con- 

 nected with the Brussels firm are now in this country engaged in the 

 same iniquitous business ; hence the adulterations spoken of. 



VALERIANATE OF MORPHIA. 



THE following account of the valerianate of morphia, a new medi- 

 cine, has been communicated to the American Association by Dr. M. 

 Wyman and Prof. Horsford. 



' It is well known to the physician that opium, besides procuring 

 sleep, allaying or entirely removing pain, and suspending the mucous 

 secretions, also produces other and undesirable effects, which materi- 

 ally diminish its usefulness. Various attempts have been made to 

 prevent these effects, at first by using different solvents of the drug, 

 and, afterwards, by separating the morphia from the other substances 

 with which it is combined; usually, on account of the greater solu- 

 bility of these salts, in the form of a sulphate, a muriate, or an ace- 

 tate. Although the objectionable properties of opium are diminished 

 with most persons when taken in these forms, still there are some 

 who suffer as much from the one as the other. Neither is it known 

 that the acids in the salts just mentioned have any medicinal influence 

 in themselves when so combined, or that they materially change the 

 action of the morphia ; although it is so well known that the thera- 

 peutic effects of opium are very materially changed by being mixed 

 or combined with other drugs. With the view of obviating these 

 objections, Prof. Horsford, at the suggestion of Dr. Wyman, has pre- 

 pared a new salt, known as valerianate of morphia. The valerianic 

 acid was made l>y the oxidation of fusil oil, one of the incidental 

 products of fermentation in the manufacture of alcohol. This oxida- 

 tion was effected by means of bichromate of potassa arid sulphuric 

 acid. The acid distilled from the solution was converted into valeri- 





