OPIUM. 



55 



no- 



a sample submitted to him as a flat cake enveloped in the sheathi..^ 

 petiole of bamboo; externally it was a blackish-brown, glutinous sub"^ 

 stance, dry and brittle on the outside. It lost by drying 18 per cent. 



7 



In 100 



grains of the (undried) drug, there were found 5-9 of morphine, and 

 7-5 of narcotine. (See also p. 62.) 



The Chinese who prepare opium for use by converting it into an 

 Jiqueous extract which they smoke, do not estimate the value of the 

 drug according to its richness in morphine, but by peculiarities of 

 aroma and degree of solubility. In China the preparation of opium 

 iov smoking is a special business, not beneath the notice even of 

 Jiuropeans.^ 



7. Zambezi or Mozcmibili 02Mum — From a notice in Pharm. Journal 

 yiii.JlS78) 1007, it would appear that the Portuguese have formed in 

 !«/ /a large company called the "Mozambique Opium Cultivating and 

 I radmg Company." -i r . 



Description — The leading characteristics of each kind of opium 

 nave been already noticed. The following remarks bear chiefly on the 

 microscopic appearances of the drug. 



f tiT^ 7^^^^^ presently shown, a more or less considerable part 



01 the drug consists of peculiar substances which are mostly crystalliz- 

 aWe and are many of them present in a crystalline state in the dru 



Itself. 



stalline 



Cf 



o 



in a dry state is triturated with benzol and examined under the raicro- 



^^T\ • forms are various : opium from Asia Minor exhibits needles 



ana short imperfect crystals usually not in large quantity, whereas 



nuian and still more Persian opium is not only highly crystalline but 



s ows a variety of forms which become beautifully evident when seen 



f] ?^, '^^^'^ light. In several kinds large crystals occur which are 



^oubtless sugar, either intentionally mixed or naturally present. The 



} stals seen in opium are not however sufficiently developed to 



rrant positive conclusions as to their nature, besides which the 



from ^^ ? assuming very different forms. Hence the attempt to obtain 

 Sim ^^^"^^^^^ crystals which shall be comparable with those of the 

 ob7er '^ t- ^^^-^^^ in a state of purity often fails. Some interesting 

 1864 ^'^2 ^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ direction were made by Deane and Brady in 



opmm has a peculiar narcotic odour and a sharp bitter taste. 



fj^- 1 ^^niical Composition — Poppy -juice like analogous vegetable 

 thti o ^^*^ fixture of several substances in variable proportion. With 

 \VG ^^^^^^^1' substances which constitute the great bulk of the drug 

 ^ are not yet sufficiently acquainted. 



*^ ^tabli ] ^ ^'^^^^^^ fi^"i at Ainoyoijened and the Exchequer will receive the yearly 



'^esupuiv f+u ^^^ preparing opium for sum of 140,000 dollars— a welcome addi- 



^«8traHa In V^"®^^ i" California and tidu to the revenue." 



^^^8, p. 7 ^^^^^ GazeUe, Kov. 7th, ^ Pharm. Jouni. vi. 23-i; vii. 183. with 



P^ep^i^g' **^^^^^s: ''The monopoly of 4 beautiful plates representing the crystal- 



^^cta of Kw Y^S opium in the 14 dis- lizatious from extract and tincture of opium 



* Hons at ^pS'^^^'^^'^U) haa been leased to as well as from the pure opium constituents, 



"^^ovation o f ^^^ ^ y^^^'^' * • • When the juice of the poppy is prevented 



^Pium shom^ lonner practice from rapid drying by the addition of a 



^ ^^^ henceforth to be licensed, little glycerin, crystals are developed in it. 



