392 O N O P I U M. 



curred to mc to try fome few experiments, to dcterinine 

 the quality and nature of that milky juice which exudes 

 from this plant in copious ftreanis when wounded ; and 

 this I was induced to do, from the well known e&Q. of the 

 plant in caufmg fleepinefs when old ; as well as from its 

 peculiar fuiell and talle, 



Thefe experiments, at that time few in numher, con- 

 vinced me of the truth of the analogy which I had drawn 

 between \.\\q conwion officinal opium, and the milky juice of 

 this plant ; for with a fmall quantity of extract obtained 

 by iiifpifiating this juice, 1 found funilar cfFefts induced 

 upon myfelf when taken internally in the fame dofes with 

 opium of the poppy. The moft pleaiing lleep was brought 

 on by one grain of the extradl, or by fifteen drops of the 

 tin£lurc made with proof fpirit. By fimilar experiments 

 fince tried upon myfelf in England, I found the fame ef- 

 fects ; and a repetition of them within a few months paft, 

 proves them ftridlly the fame. I have occafionally remov- 

 ed in myfelf a flight cholic, with twelve or fifteen drops of 

 the tindiure : and a feries of comparative experiments upon 

 frogs, &c. which 1 Ihall here detail, aflhre mc by their uni- 

 formity of the identity of the opium extracted from the pop- 

 py and of that procured from the lettuce. 



Before I proceed to relate the experiments I have made 

 upon this fubjedl, I muft be permitted to (liew, by quo- 

 tations from feveral authors, how nearly they had reached 

 the difcovery of this fad. Jones, a celebrated author, who 

 publifhed in 1701 his" Myjleries of Opium revealed^'' \\\ 

 fpeaking " of the eledion (or choice) of opium," fays ; 

 " 3. It was mixed with juice of lalducajylvejlris, or wild 

 endive leaved lettuce." 



" This made it of a duller colour^ and not to fmell f3 

 perfedly and rankly of the poppy" He foon after, adds, 

 " but laEluca fylvejlris being of the nature of opium, made 

 the lofs of its virtue lefs difcernible." See p. 1 3. 



Dr. 



