83 



Opium much richer in morphia may, however, be met with. The 

 above proportions are those found in the drug as imported in its 

 fresh and soft state. When dried, in which condition it should be 

 alone used for pharmaceutical preparations, the authors of Phar- 

 macographia say, that "good Smyrna opium ought to afford 12 to 

 15 per cent, of morphine, and that if the percentage is less than 

 10, adulteration may be suspected." In the Pharmacopoeia of the 

 United States it is also stated that opium, when dried at 212° 

 until it ceases to lose weight, should yield at least 10 per cent, of 

 morphia by the official process. 



Adulterations. — Smyrna opium is frequently adulterated, and 

 with various substances, such as sand, pounded poppy capsules, 

 gum tragacanth, pulp of figs or apricots, gum arable, molasses, 

 starch, sugar, &c. It is also by no means rare to find bits of clay, 

 stones, bullets, and other foreign matter in the masses ; and, in 

 some instances, opium is found in commerce from which the mor- 

 phia has been extracted. The only reliable test of the purity and 

 quality of opium is the proportion of morphia it yields. 



Egyptian Opium, — This kind is obtained from the same variety 

 of Papaver somniferum as that from which Asia Minor Opium is 

 procured , but comparatively little, much less than formerly, is 

 now met with in Europe and the United States. As usually seen 

 it is in flatfish or plano-convex cakes from 3 to 4 inches in diame- 

 ter, and covered externally with portions of poppy leaves ; but no 

 Rumex fruits are found. Formerly, the cakes of Egyptian opium 

 were always covered with the remains of a leaf with radiate ven- 

 ation, which was ascertained to be that of the Oriental Plane 

 {Platamis oricntalis). It is usually very hard and dry, although 

 sometimes soft and plastic. It is distinguished from Asia Minor 

 Opium by its dark liver colour, and by not blackening by keep- 

 ing. Its odour is also less strong, and somewhat musty. It is 

 frequently adulterated, and, as a rule, very inferior to Smyrna 

 opium ; but its quality varies much, for while ordinarily, as im- 

 ported, it only yields 3 or 4 per cent, of morphia, in other cases as 

 much as 8 per cent, has been found. Some chemists have also 

 extracted much narcotine from this variety of opium. 



Persian Opium. This is the Trebizond opium of Pereira. It is 

 derived from Papaver somniferum var. album, the white flowered va- 

 riety. It is found in various forms, thus, in somewhat flattened 

 cylindrical sticks, in short, rounded cones, in flat, circular cakes, 

 and in roundish, irregular lumps. The sticks, which are of very 

 inferior quality, are about six inches in length, and about half an 

 inch in diameter. Each one is enveloped in a smooth, shiny 

 paper and tied with cotton. The other forms of Persian opium are 

 either covered with broken stalks and leaves, or wrapped in paper. 

 Fine Persian opium has a firm consistence, a good opium smell 

 and taste, and a light brown, somewhat reddish colour. Some 

 Persian opium has a greasy exterior, and when cut globules of oil 



