Si IENI /■ GOSSIP. 





ilhod 

 external magnetic n thai movemenl ma; 



ithout disturbing the tube al all while it is 

 in. mi. 



ihown in fig. 21, i tructed 



lode in its moverrn nl iltdes in unci out 

 blown in the bulb, and is I 

 ty to the glass throughout its movement; f"i 

 lati in. .1 L;rt iiL-r influence 

 he tube than mere mo 

 fro when thi ■ tthode is quite out into the bulb 

 i k in the reverse way : thai is, the 

 i hi d i to the anode the lower the 

 resistance, and this increases again as the cathodi is 

 gradually drawn back inside the annex. The figure 

 •-h-.« •. .in earlier pattern of this tube, in which the 

 cathod' into the centre of the bulbspace. 



The pn brm, however, is arranged so that its 



action depends upon ihis proximity ..i the i 

 l" the glas-.. 



Unless the- anti-cathode of an X-fiaytube is backed 



by an additional block of metal to conduct away the 



heat, it som comes red hot and even melts, 



' the molecules upon it — 



lly if the tube is in use- with a large i oil. All 



well in ructed, but p cial 



ured for thi olli, and in 



cases where the Wehncll i I, lince the 



latter pi ively strong tlisi 



fig. 22, where it will I* seen that 

 thi ami - athode is connected to a ter tube 



which extends almost to the end ol the annex tube, 

 which then fori ' i a large 



-I radiation : both i 

 to keep the '"'i i I. Although thi 



has only been brought forward this year, the idea i^ 

 nol quite a new '>ne, as similar tubes wen 



< in 1897, i" Pi fi n >. P. 1 h ■ 



designs. 



Yet anothei tube has lately been introduced with 

 this end in view, namely, keeping the ami . 

 cool. \ hollow platinum cone, which serves a> an 

 anti-cathode, is sealed into the X-Raj bulb; but 



the inside nl the cone is in 1 rtunii ition with the 



external air. It can therefore be filled at will with 

 cold water, which prevents the surface of the anti- 

 cathode becoming unduly heated. When the tem- 

 perature of the contained water rises to boiling point, 

 fresh cold water is substituted. I hi 

 platinum required in this tube renders it expensive. 



( '/'<> b,- continued. ) 



OPIUM, 



IT.s SOURCE, VARIETIES AND COMPOSITION. 



By Lewis Ough, F.L.S. F.C.S. 



(1 1 udedfrom /.<- 



DROBABLY in ii" medicinal product has a greater 

 ■*■ variety "I foreign substances been at onetime or 

 other detected as adulterants, principally to in- 

 crease the weight of the opium. AH 

 delected by careful examination, including 

 chemical and microscopic analysis. I have per- 

 sonally found bullets and stones in Turke) opium, 



together with such substances as rl.iv, sand, -'.'■' Ii. 



dried leaves, extract of lettuce and extract of 



The last named is obtained by boiling 



in water, then evaporating 



the dirk ...loured decoction tints obtained. 



\\ nli regard ti 1 I he 1 bemical composition of 

 opium, tin- activity of the drug is principally due 

 to the vegetable alkaloid morphine. The yield of 

 morphii turkey opium is from 8 to 17 pei 



tent., the average being 10 per cent. Below this 

 ted inferior and not suitable for medi- 

 cinal purposes, being probably adulterated. As an 

 I, morphin historically, 



the first discovered of this now most 

 important class of bodies. It cx^ts in the drug in 

 combination with sulphuric and meconic acids. 



Lactic acid has also been found but that is gene- 

 rally believed i" have been formed in the opium 

 after its collection bv a process of fermentation. 

 B; ine chemists, however, this is believed to be a 

 slightly different compound and it has been named 

 theobolactic acid. In addition to morphine the 

 following alkaloids of opium are of more or less 

 importance: — narcotine,' 7 per cent.; codeine, 

 1 per cent. ; narceine, 1 per cent. ; meconine, 

 .■', per lent.: papaverine, thebaine, cryptopine, 

 and several others. Meconic acid is present to the 

 extent of about 5 per cent., and the remain 

 the bulk is mule up with resin, gummy matter, 

 mucus, water, fatty matter and caoutchouc. The 

 proportion "i the latter present has probabh 

 bearing on us value for smoking purposes, as the 

 Chinese estimate the drug roughly bv the touch, 

 i.e., the rapidity or slowness with which a 

 drawn out from the mass will break by its own 

 weight. The amount of morphine in Persian 

 opium is very variable, some vielding from S 10 13 

 per cent., whilst other kinds yield below 1 per 

 cent, Indian and Chinese opiums arc also very 



