PAPAVEPAGEM. 133 



branches, stem, and root. From these organs bruised the ancients 

 obtained the narcotic extract, which they called meconium. It is by in- 

 cision into the green fruit, some days after flowering, that opium is 

 obtained. The process varies in Persia, Asia Minor, Egypt, India, and 

 even those European countries where native opium manufacture has 

 been attempted- But opium invariably consists, when it has undergone 

 no further manipulation, of little coherent pale or tawny transparent 

 masses, which are only agglomerations of more or less desiccated drops 

 of latex. We need hardly mention that opium is the sedative and 

 narcotic par excellence and that its properties are found in 

 the numerous compounds into which it enters, 1 and in several o+* 

 the numerous alkaloids it contains, 2 whose study is so interesting from 

 the point of view of chemical theory as well as of medical science. 

 The true Opium-Poppy is the white-seeded variety of Papaver som- 

 niferum* (figs. 117, 1 18), though the other varieties contain opium 

 which might be utilized. 4 



P. bracteatum? orientale, 6 Rhceas, 7 dubium* hybridum? Argemone™ 

 and nudicaiile" all appear to owe their properties to the presence of 

 a little morphia in their organs. It is also found in some allied 

 genera, Argemone in particular. 1 ' In many other Papaverads the latex 

 is acrid and irritant, often very poisonous. That of the Greater 

 Celandine 13 (Fr., Grande Eclaire ; figs. 134-136), which is orange- 



Elem. Mat. Med.,eA. 4,ii. p. ii. 586. — Rosenth., 5 Lindl., Coll., t. 23. — Ker, in Bot. Reg., t. 



Synops. PI. Diaphor., 623. 658. — DC, Prodi:, n. 18 — Guib., op. cit., 705. 



1 Such as thebaic extract, Laudanum (of 6 L., Spec, 727. — Curt., in Bot. Mag., t. 

 Sydenham & Rousseau), Mithridate, Theria- 57. — DC, Prodr., n. 17. — Guib., op. cit., 704. 

 cum, Dover's Powder, Masse de Cynoglosse,sirop ' L., Spec, 726. — Sir., Engl. Bot., t. 645. — 

 diacode, succinum or Jcarabe, Paregoric Elixir, DC, Prodr., n. 9. — Lindl., op cit., 15. — Guib., 

 Tincture of Opium, Black Drop, &e. op. cit., 704. — Pereira, op. cit., 586. The 



2 Especially Morphia (C, 7 H, 9 N0 3 ), Xarcotine petals, which contain rhceadine, are especially 

 (C 2 „H., 3 NO,), Codeine (C 18 H. n NO 31 H„ ), Narcein used as a sedative (Hess., in N. Rep. Pharm., 

 (C 2 gH 29 N0 9 ); Papaverine (0„ H ni XO 4 ), Narco- xv. 139). 



genine" (C M H l9 N0 6 ), Thebaine" (C 19 H 21 N0 3 ), 8 L., Spec, 726.— Sm., Engl. Bot., t. 644.— 



Porphyroxine, &c. ScHKUHR.,if«/;<M.,ii.69,t.l40. — DC.,Prodr.,n.7. 



3 L., Spec, 726.— Lamk., Ill, t. 451.— DC, 9 L., Spec, 725.— DC, Prodr., n. 5. 

 Sgst., ii. 81 ; Prodr., i. 120, n. 21.— P. officinale 10 L., Spec, 725.— DC, Prodr., n. 6. 

 Nees&Eberm., Handb., iii. 446. Matthiessen, 1] L., Spec, 725. — Sims, in Bot. Mag., t. 

 on Nareotine, in Phil. Trans., 1863, 1869, 1870 ; 1633.— DC.,Prodr., n. 1. — P.radicatum Rottb. 

 Matthiessen & Wright, on the Opium Bases, Ia In A. mexicana L. (Spec, 727; — Lamk., 

 inProc.Roy. Soc, xvii. 455, 460 ; xviii. 83, 122. III., t. 452;— Curt., in Bot. Mag., t. 243; — 



4 P. somniferum /3, album DC, Prodr., ii. DC, Prodr., i. 120; — Guib., op. cit., 698; — 

 120.— P. album J. Bauh., Hist PI. Univ., Lindl., Fl. Med., 16 ; — H. En., in Diet. Encycl. 

 iii. 390. — Guib., op. cit., 698. — P. album des Sc. Med., vi. 56), morphia is found (Char- 

 sativum Lobel, Icon., 272. — P. album hor- bon., Thes. Ec. Pharm. Par., 1868). 



tense, semine albo, sativum Diuscoridis, album 13 Chelidonium majus Mill., Diet , n. 1. — L., 



Plinio C Bauh , Pin., 170. — "H/xepos, Spec, 723. — DC, Prodr., i. 123, n. 1.— Guib., 



Diosc. op. cit., 6J7, fig. 761. — Lindl., op. cit., 17 (see 



