52 PAPAVERACEJE. 



evaporated to a thick fluid, 100 grains of which should afford 53 of dry 

 residue. These various things are used to form a hall of opium in the 

 following proportions : — 



seers, chittaks. 



Opium of standard consistence . . . 1 7*50 



„ contained in Zez^a .... 3 '75 



Poppy petals 



Fine trash . 



5*43 



OoO 



about4ft.3ioz 

 avoirdupois 



/ avoiruujjuia. 



The finished balls usually termed calces, which are quite spherical and 

 have a diameter of G inches, are rolled in po^^p?/ irask which is the name 

 given to the coarsely powdered stalks, capsules and leaves of the plant; 

 they are then placed in small dishes and exposed to the direct influence 

 ot the sun. Should any become distended, it is at once opened, the gas 

 allowed to escape, and the cake made up ajrain. After three days 

 the cakes are placed, by the end of July, in frames in the factory where 

 tne air is allowed to circulate. They still however require constant 

 watching and turning, as they are liable to contract mildew which has 



hp.n J"""'' r .^^^^^^^^^g ^^ poppy ^'^«sA- By October the cakes have 

 bpTX^f '^^^ ^7 externally and quite hard, and are in condition to 

 snip, t^ '"^ cases (40 cakes in each) for the China market which con- 

 sumes the great bulk of the manufacture 



It is ?n«n-'''"f°!f 5''''' '^ ^^'^^^ *^e <^rug is prepared in a different shape. 

 ture Z^iTf ^l '^^^'' ^^^^ ^^^ it cS^tains only 10 per cent, of mois- 

 are w^n7ij' '-f ' '^ '' ^"^"^^^ ^^^o square cages of 2 lb. each which 

 a drui k^ki''' ^"^ PJ?f ' ^^ '^ '' made into flat square tablets. Such 

 a diug IS known as Abkari Opium. ^ 



most ord^rW irr^ ^K!"^ ^^^^-^^^^^ ^^ Bengal are conducted on the 

 rxcludTn^anVS r- i ^^' "^^'^ ^^^iov^e^ in selecting the drug, and m 

 who puilwe th. '' ^""T^ °^ adulterated is such fhat the merchants 



or cakes th^ymatdelf^^^^^ ^^ -^^ '^'^ -^ -^^^^ 1 tes 



sold was 49 695 th^r^!" i. • ^ ^^^'' 1871-72 the number of chests 

 than the avSe of C' ^^'\^ ^^^^ P^r chest, which is £26 highe 

 was £90.^ " ^ *^^ preceding yearf^ The net profit on each chest 



prisl?the^roS\o of ''^'^'^ "^ "P^^"^ ^^ ^^^ entirely to private enter- 

 COO rupees (£60) nei oh!'.T'f ^'^"- ^^"^^^ from an export duty of 

 of much less un fon^ ^'r f.' ^^^ ^«^d% be supposed, the drug is 

 Bengal agencies anih^!^^^'^^ *^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^^ has pissed through the 

 confi'dence. ' ^^^^""^ ^^ guarantee as to purity it commands less 



trick.^ whierar^not't.'^f -^ '^""^ ^^^^'' ^"*^ ^^to rectangular masses, or 

 per cent, of drv on^l 'cT ''' P°PPy Petals : it contains as much as 9^ 



It was 



Howar 





( 



\ 



2»th July. 1 Sn rTi A ^^^ ^2, 353, 500. 



