170 On the preparation of Opium for the China market. [March, 



the compound has little consistence, and will be found to contain inso- 

 luble portions, which have lost their power of forming hydrates with 

 water : yet its spissitude remains exactly that of standard opium, the 

 precise quantity of dry opium employed in making it being recovera- 

 ble from it, but in a darkened and deteriorated condition. The above 

 observations have a practical bearing upon the manufacture of lewd T 

 as has already been noticed, and upon the degree of spissitude which 

 opium, either in the hands of the koe'ris or in the agency godowns, 

 should be permitted to acquire : it should be limited to 66 or 67 per 

 cent, for the former, and 70 or 72 for the latter ; because, with every 

 additional degree of spissitude above this, the solubility is impaired in 

 an increasing ratio. 



13. Among some thoughts on the subject committed to writing 

 six years ago, I find the following remark and query : " The whole 

 of the original milky juice will pass through a finer filter than that 

 used by the Chinese in making the extract for smoking : is it possi- 

 ble to dry the opium, retaining its property of such minute division 

 and diffusibility ; or is it necessary for the complete separation of the 

 water from the resin, gluten, caoutchouc, &c. that some absorption of 

 oxygen should take place, and some consequent diminution of their 

 solubility, or rather miscibility with water ?" My reason for noticing 

 this query is the subsequent solution of the proposed problem by M. 

 Previtb of Calcutta, in the highly similar case of animal milk, which 

 he appears to have succeeded in drying to a powder with no perceptible 

 injury to the diffusibility of its curdy and oleaginous principles. This 

 is the very result that should be aimed at in the preparation of opium 

 for the China market. 



14. When the juice of the poppy has been properly dried, that is, 

 rapidly, in a cool shade, and protected from dust, it possesses, at the 

 spissitude of 70 per cent., (that is, containing 30 per cent, of water,) 

 the following properties. It has, in the mass, a " reddish brown" 

 colour (Werner), resembling that of copper (the metallic lustre ob- 

 structed) ; and, when spread thin on a white plate, shews considera- 

 ble translucency, with a " gallstone yellow" colour, and a slightly gra- 

 nular texture. When cut into flakes with a knife, it exhibits sharp 

 edges, without drawing out into threads ; and is tremulous, like jelly, 

 or rather strawberry jam, to which it has been aptly compared. It 

 has considerable adhesiveness, a handful of it not dropping from the 

 hand inverted for some seconds. Its smell is the pure peculiar smell 



agencies for the full price allowed by Government. On parcels of opium, infe- 

 rior to this in spissitude, a penalty is levied, called battd upon consistence. 



