314 COMPOSITZ. 
In the wild state they produce to a certain extent narcotic ant 
sedative effects, but these appear to be almost entirely removed 
by cultivation ; still, even in the cultivated varieties, a milky anc 
‘bitter juice exists in the flower stem. Lettuces épisug* appeai 
to have been used for salads at a very early period. Accord- 
ing to Herodotus, they were served at the tables of the 
Persian kings more than 400 years before the Christian era 
The opium ef Galen is supposed to have been Lettuce opium, 
The Greeks and Romans considered the lettuce unlucky, and 
used it only at funerals asa food.  - ; 
Apuleius (De Vir. Herb.) speaks of it as a valuable medic 
inal herb— ul 
“ Herbee lactuca sylvatica suceum cum vino optimo vetere et — 
melle acapno quod sine fume collectum est, mixtum in ampul- 
mentions several kinds of lettuce, and also lettuce opium; 
but he acknowledges the superiority of the lettuces raised from 
English seed in India over those of Persia, and enlarges upon the 
cooling and purifying action of the herb upon the blood. The 
lettuce seed of the bazars is white: itis imported from Persia, 
and is sold for Re. } per Ib. 
The Arabic name is: Bazr-el-khas and: the Persian Tukm~i 
kéhié. Both plant and ‘seed are too well known to require 
description. aa , : : 
Chemical composition.— Lactucarium is a brown viscid 
_ the are wounded, Jt has a peculiar 
opium odour and acts as a narcotic. : 
contains, according to Ludwig, from 44*4 to 58-5 per cent, of 
lactucone ; a soft resin; ab ; 
body; lactucin, the chief active principle of the substance; 
~ *ailso. Spidacing, Theoph. H.P:1.,16, 10,4, Lenk Phe d 
Sp. aypia, Vin, 6 is tinea nied Age erahe 
ucaateatct a ei. 
Ae 
