OPIUM 231 



tobacco. If the crop be a failure, and it may at the last 

 moment become nearly a total loss by rain, or by frost 

 in the fall or spring, the patient Turk says, "Inshallah 

 Kissmet yarren guelir" "With the will of God, good 

 luck may come tomorrow." 



CHARACTERISTICS. Fresh, prime Smyrna opium has 

 a soft consistence, and in color is dark yellowish, or 

 brown. It breaks with a tough pull and an uneven 

 fracture. The crust is much darker than the central 

 part, and much drier. The structure of the ordinary 

 quality is not smooth, owing to the presence of foreign 

 substances, such as the scrapings of the capsule and 

 gum of unequal consistence. The odor of prime opium 

 is strongly and (to me) pleasantly narcotic, unmarked 

 by any fruity flavor. The taste is bitter and peculiar. 

 The morphine value of prime selected Smyrna opium 

 averages (Alpiar) from ten per cent to thirteen and 

 one-half per cent. 



ADULTERATIONS. In former years, before opium was 

 valued by morphine percentage, some of the natives or 

 dealers were given to profitable sophistication by the 

 use of extraneous substances that increased the weight 

 of the product, without disturbing the odor, the color or 

 consistence. This habit lingers somewhat yet, although 

 the growers and manipulators are fast learning that 

 sophistication processes involve them in financial loss. 

 About ten per cent of the opium that enters Smyrna 

 was, in 1906, more or less adulterated, the low grades 

 running from three per cent to six per cent morphine. 

 Among the sophisticants may be named salep, sand, 

 crushed raisins, apricot pulp, prunes, yolk of egg, ex- 

 cessive scrapings from the poppy capsules, shot or lead, 

 iron, flour, extract of poppy heads, gum arabic, yellow 



