366 PAPAVEBACE^E, OR POPPY TRIBE. 



appearance of its flowers, when several additional whorls of 

 petals have been developed at the expense of the stamens. Its 

 colour, also, has a tendency to change, but generally to light 

 shades of purple. The deep scarlet Poppies, so abundant in 

 corn-fields, are not so prone to variation. 



527. All the Papaveraceae possess narcotic properties in more 

 or less intensity ; but these properties are not common to the 

 whole plant, being only manifested by those parts which abound 

 in the milky juice. Thus from the petals of the Red Poppy a 

 syrup is made, which is used to colour medicines, on account of 

 its beautiful deep-red hue; but this is perfectly destitute of 

 medicinal properties. The seeds, again, yield a large quantity of 

 a fixed oil, which is quite free from any narcotic quality (. 371). 

 From the ripening capsules, however, especially of the White 

 Poppy, the milky juice may be obtained in large quantities; and 

 it is from this source that all the opium, obtained for medicinal 

 and other purposes, is derived. The properties of this drug, and 

 the enormous amount of it consumed, have been already remarked 

 upon (. 384 5) ; and the account need not here be repeated. 

 It may be desirable to mention, however, that a syrup is made 

 from the White as well as from the Red Poppy ; and that the 

 former possesses narcotic properties, from which the latter is 

 wholly free. It should be used, therefore, by unprofessional 

 persons with great caution. There is too much reason to believe, 

 that the lives of many infants have been destroyed, by the 

 administration of tea-spoonful after tea-spoonful of "White-Poppy 

 Syrup, given by ignorant nurses or mothers, with the idea of 

 temporarily soothing them. And it is also well known, that the 

 injudicious use of many excellent popular medicines, into the 

 composition of which opium enters in unknown quantity (such as 

 Godfrey's Cordial, and Daffy's Elixir), has been productive of 

 equally fatal effects. It cannot be too strongly impressed on 

 those who have the management of infants, that they are 

 susceptible of the influence of narcotics in a far higher degree, 

 than of that of purgative and other medicines ; so that whilst an 

 infant may safely take a grain of calomel, or three or four of 

 jalap, one-fifth of the ordinary doses for adults, a single drop 



