8l 



th^ir right hand, they scrape the opium which has exuded from 

 the incision in each capsule during the night, and then transfer it 

 from the knife to the leaf. At every alternate scraping the knife 

 is wetted with saliva by drawing it through the mouth to prevent 

 the half-dried juice adhering to it. Each poppy capsule is, as a 

 rule, only cut once, but as each plant produces several capsules 

 which do not arrive at maturity at the same time, it is usual to 

 pass over the field a second or even a third time, in order to incise 

 such capsules as were not ready at the first cutting ; and then the 

 opportunity is also taken of recutting such capsules as exceed the 

 usual size. As soon as a sufficient quantity of the half-dried 

 juice has been collected to form a cake or lump, it is wrapped in 

 poppy leaves, and put for a short time to dry in the shade. There 

 is no given size for cakes of opium, and they vary very much, 

 being from a few ounces to two or more pounds. 



The cuhivators, who are small land proprietors, then sell the 

 opium to the merchants in the interior, and by these the opium is 

 at once packed in bags together with the chaffy fruits of a species 

 of Rumex to prevent the lumps from sticking together, after which 

 the bags are sealed and placed in wicker baskets of an oblong 

 shape and forwarded chiefly to Smyrna, although some of a supe- 

 rior quality is sent direct to Constantinople. But in some cases it 

 would appear that the drug, which is purchased in a soft state, is 

 incorporated into larger masses by means of a wooden pestle, then 

 enveloped simply in poppy leaves, and afterwards packed in bags, 

 sealed as before, and forwarded to Smyrna. The opium after 

 being sold at Smyrna is transported to the buyer's warehouse, 

 when the seals of the bags are broken in the presence of the buyer, 

 seller and a public examiner, the latter of whom inspects the drug 

 carefully and rejects any of suspicious quality. The examination 

 of opium is not carried on after any scientific method, but its qua- 

 lity is judged of by its colour, odour, appearance and weight ; 

 nevertheless, the estimate is generally correct. 



The seeds have no narcotic properties ; the dark coloured kinds 

 are called mawseeds and are used as medicine for birds, and are 

 largely eaten by them. The whole seed is prepared as a comfit 

 like caraway, and is said to have an agreeable flavour. 



The capsules contain a small quantity of the more important 

 principles found in opium. The preparations of poppy capsules 

 are similar in their effects to, but are much weaker, and less to be 

 depended upon than those of opium. 



Opium is one of the most valuable medicines known. For other 

 medicines there are one or more substitutes, but for opium none — 

 at least in the large majority of cases in which its peculiar and 

 benficial effects are required. To this must be added, however, 

 that while its proper use is of such inestimable value, its enormous 

 consumption by the habitual opium eater, and in other ways, pro- 

 bably causes more misery to the human race than any other drug. 



