144 DEVELOPMENT OF FUNGI ON PATNA OPIUM. 



rioration of the opium. "Without more ample materials, it would 

 be imprudent to conclude that the little mould in the first instance 

 had robbed the lewah of its meconic acid, though it had done no 

 damage to the mass of opium within, nor have I any specimen of 

 the damaged opium itself for comparison. 



Supposing however, which is very probable, that the injury to 

 the opium has really arisen from the mould, the question is, how 

 may it be remedied, and so remedied as not to impair the sample ? 

 It is obvious that dipping the cakes into any solution would be 

 liable to objection, as probably leading to mischief. If, however, 

 the cakes, as soon as any mould appears, were submitted to sul- 

 phurous acid (the vapour of common sulphur), I am inclined to 

 think that the remedy would be complete, and that the cakes 

 would not be injured in appearance. If the affection should be- 

 come of any serious importance, the practice would be well worth 

 trial, and I should be very sanguine of its success. 



M. J. Berkeley. 

 King's Cliffe, April 26, 1856. 



Supplemental Observations, in a Letter to J. D. Hooker, Esq., 

 M.D., F.K.S., E.L.S. &c. 



King's Cliffe, April 28, 1856. 



My dear Friend, — I have made another chemical examination 

 of the two specimens of Opium shell this morning, the result of 

 which is as follows : — 



Neither in the bad nor good the lewah in solution with water 

 and alcohol gave any red tint with litmus paper. There is, there- 

 fore, no free meconic acid. 



1. Sesquioxide of iron in a spirituous solution of the lewah gave 

 no red tint in either. It should seem then, again, that there is 

 no meconic acid. As, however, the solution was slightly dis- 

 coloured with gallate of iron, the matter is not decisive. Me- 

 conate of iron may not have been formed, in consequence of the 

 formation of gallate of iron. 



2. Strong nitric acid gave a slight red tinge to a spirituous solu- 

 tion in both cases : there is, therefore, a small quantity of morphia 

 in both. 



"We made a comparative trial with opium powder in the first 

 instance (No. 1), and at once obtained a strong red tint even with 

 an aqueous solution. Our examination, therefore, is to a certain 

 degree worth attention. 



