1S3S.] On the preparation of Opium for the China market. 169 



the ingredients are in a state of true chemical combination, with the 

 water contained ; while, in the latter, many of the ingredients are 

 only in a state of mechanical mixture, a condition which almost neces- 

 sarily gives an appearance of solidity beyond all proportion to the 

 actual quantity of solid matter contained. Hence, pasewd, and opium 

 containing pasewd, are less consistent, and woxild, to the inexperienced 

 eye, appear to contain much more water than pure opium of the same 

 actual spissitude ; a source of much perplexity to any one who tries for 

 the first time to estimate, by the consistence, the real spissitude or dry 

 contents of different samples of opium containing more or less of 

 pasewd. A tentative process is the only one by which a person can 

 qualify himself to estimate the spissitude with tolerable accuracy. He 

 should, before allowing the parkhiyas to state their estimates of the 

 spissitude, form one in his own mind, and make a memorandum of it, 

 noting his reasons for assigning the degree of spissitude on which he 

 has fixed. The result of the steam- drying test, to which small sam- 

 ples of all opium are subjected in the Benares agency, will then enable 

 him to judge on which side, whether under or over-estimate, he has 

 inclined to err, and to avoid the error in his subsequent operations. 



12. The constituents of pasewd are in a state of chemical combi- 

 nation ; and the slow addition of water will not subvert that condi- 

 tion. But the sudden affusion of a large quantity of water on con- 

 centrated/>asek"a instantly resolves it into two portions, a dark coloured 

 fluid containing the gum, colouring matter, and super-meconiate and 

 acetate of morphia, and a lighter coloured powder, consisting of the 

 resin and some gluten, and a minute portion of caoutchouc. In mak- 

 ing lewd, therefore, from pasewd, or from inferior opium, the necessary 

 quantity of water should be slowly added, and thoroughly mixed pre- 

 viously to the addition of more water. Pure opium is liable to the 

 same resolution of its component parts, from the sudden affusion of 

 water : if the latter be slowly added and thoroughly mixed, the gela- 

 tinous opium will absorb it, forming a species of hydrate, and will 

 retain its tremulous consistence ; but if the water be suddenly added in 

 •considerable quantity, an immediate separation of the more and less 

 soluble constituents occurs, and the opium loses its gelatinous and 

 adhesive character. When opium is dried up to a certain point, below 

 .the spissitude of 80 per cent., it loses the power of absorbing water 

 without decomposition, and cannot be brought to the gelatinous state. 

 It might be expected, that by adding 30 parts of water to 70 of dry 

 opium powder, we should produce a combination possessing the con- 

 sistence and other physical characters of fresh standard* opium ; but 



* So called, because this is the degree of spissitude required at the BeugaJ 

 z 



