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liibiting a very wide difference in price, as will be perceived, between 

 the good and refuse article. 



Another of our more important articles of medicine, particularly 

 in the newly settled portions of our country, comes to us in large 

 quantities entirely unfit for medicinal purposes; but like the worth- 

 less rhubarb root, is eagerly bought up at auction sales by unprinci- 

 pled drug dealers, and sent to the drug mills, where it is ground 

 and powdered, the color, smell and natural taste imitated, and after- 

 wards sold to country dealers and others as a good article. The 

 result of this is, that it is finally dispensed to the sick, at the sacri- 

 fice, doubtless, of many valuable lives every year: we mean the 

 Peruvian bark. 



Several varieties of this bark are used in medicines, viz., the 

 "yellow," the "pale," the "red," &c; but neither variety can 

 scarcely ever be obtained, at the place of production, of good quality 

 and in good condition, at a less rate than from 30 to 40 cents per 

 pound; and the quality generally used for the manufacture of sul- 

 2?hate of quinine (or the salts of Peruvian bark), has not, for years, 

 been obtained from those parts of South America where it is pro- 

 duced, at a less price than from $60 to $80 per quintal of 100 

 pounds. The worthless article particularly referred to above, comes 

 principally from Europe, and seems to be made up of the different 

 varieties already named, as well as to be in a greatly deteriorated 

 condition from age, or from having had its medicinal virtues ex- 

 tracted, for the purpose of making the extract of Peruvian bark, a 

 valuable medicine. 



From appearances, it consists mainly of refuse material collected 

 together in foreign warehouses for exportation. It is invoiced from 

 2 to 7 cents per pound. Thousands of pounds of this trash have 

 passed through the New York custom-house, at the above price, 

 during the past year, and may justly be considered very dear even 

 at those rates. 



Columbo and gentian roots, and many more of the important 

 crude drugs, come to us in a similar worthless condition. 



Opium. — An article of priceless worth in the treatment of dis- 

 ease, is now sent to this country in a greatly and dangerously adul- 

 terated state; and as a proof that the fraud carried on in the pre- 

 paration of this valuable drug is now made not only a regular but 

 an extensive business, we are assured, on most reliable authority, 

 that it is shipped directly from Smyrna, the most important place 

 of its production, deprived, not unfrequently, of tivo-thirds of its 

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