AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 497 



I will now take up the subject of drugs, and give you the 

 analysis of only four important ones. 



The first is jalap. From the examination by analysis of thirty- 

 three samples of powdered jalaps, it appears that of the thirty- 

 three no less than fourteen were adulterated, or nearly one-half; 

 that this adulteration was in all the samples of the same kind, 

 and consisted in the addition of large quantities of wood in a 

 minutely divided state; that the wood employed amounted to at 

 least one-third, the properties and strength of the jalap being, 

 of course, impaired to that extent; that one of the samples 

 yielded 5.37 per cent of extractive; and there is therefore much 

 reason to believe tliat the resin had been previously extracted 

 abroad from the rest. 



From the analysis of thirty-tliree samples of poAvdered ipecacu- 

 anha submitted to examination, eighteen were adulterated, that 

 is more than one-half of the entire ; that of these one contained a 

 very large quantity of tartar emetic; that two of the samples were 

 adulterated with large quantities of carbonate of lime or chalk; 

 two with wheat flour ; one with a vegetable substance containing 

 mucli starch; twelve with various and often considerable pro- 

 portions of extraneous woody fibre, of more than one kind. 



Of twenty-three samples of gum opium examined, as imported, 

 it appeared that no less than nineteen of the samples were adul- 

 terated, from only being genuine, the prevailing adulterations 

 consisting of poppy capsule and wheat flour, many to a very large 

 extent; in several cases sand, sugar, and another gum, were dis- 

 covered. 



From the examination of thirty -four samples of powdered 

 opium, purchased of ditt'erent chemists, wholesale and retail, 

 it appeared that thirty-three were adulterated, and only one 

 genuine, the principal adulterations, as in the previous case, being 

 with poppy capsule and wheat flour ; that four of the samples 

 were further adulterated by the addition of powdered wood, in- 

 troduced, no doubt, in the process of grinding. Out, therefore, 

 of fifty-five samples of gum and powdered opium, the results of 

 the microscopical and chemical analysis of which liave been now 

 recorded, five only were genuine. Now, gentlemen, when we con- 

 sider that there are few articles in the materia medica more gen- 

 erally used tlian opium, and the effects of which are more essen- 

 tial in very severe cases, opium is, undoubtedly, one of the 

 most important medicines contained in the whole materia medica, 



[Am. Inst.] 32 



