PART II. 



VEGETABLE DRUGS. 

 SECTION I.— DRUGS ACTING UPON THE BRAIN. 



Opium. Opium. (U. S. & B. P.) 



Synonym. — Opium in E., Fr. and G. 



Derivation. — The air-dried, milky exudation obtained by incising the unripe 

 capsules of Papaver somniferum Linne and its variety album De Candolle (Fam. 

 Papaveraceae), and yielding in its normal, moist condition, not less than 9.5 per 

 cent, of anhydrous morphine. Opium is procured from Turkey, Asia Minor, 

 Persia, India and Egypt. The Smyrna, or Turkey opium is the more common 

 variety used in the United States. It occurs in irregular, globular masses, cov- 

 ered with poppy leaves and capsules of a species of dock, weighing from % to 1 

 pound. 



Properties. — In more or less rounded, mostly somewhat flattened masses of 

 variable size, but usually about 8 to 15 cm. in diameter; externally grayish- 

 brown, covered with fragments of poppy leaves; more or less plastic when fresh, 

 becoming hard and brittle on keeping; internally dark brown, interspersed with 

 lighter areas, somewhat lustrous ; odor characteristic, narcotic ; taste bitter, 

 characteristic. It yields its medicinal properties to water, alcohol, and diluted 

 acids, forming dark brown solutions. Ether extracts its principles in part. 



Constituents. — There are nineteen or more alkaloids; the three first are used 

 in human medicine, but narceine is of no value in veterinary medicine. 



Morphine. 



Codeine. 



Narceine. 



2.5—22.8 per cent. 

 .2 — .7 per cent. 

 .1 — .7 per cent. 



Thebaine. 



Narcotine. 

 Papaverine. 



.15 — 1. per cent. 

 1.3 — 10. per cent. 

 1. per cent. 



In addition to these, the following exist in minute quantity, but some are 

 merely "pharmaceutical curiosities": — 



Protopine. Organic Acids. 



Cryptopine. Meconic Acid. 



Oxynarcotine. Lactic Acid. 



Hydronarcotine. Pectin. 



Laudanosine. Gum. 50. per cent. 



Laudaine. Resin. 



Phaeadine. Glucose. 



Codamine. Fixed Oils. 



Meconodine. A Volatile Oil. 



Gnoscopine. Odorous Bodies. 



Lanthopine. Caoutchouc. 



Water. 15. — 25. per cent. Ammonium Salts. 



Neutral Bodies. Calcium Salts. 



Meconin. Magnesium Salts. 



Meconoisin. 



Impurities. — Starch, molasses, leaves, fruit, stones and water. 



Incompatibility. — Solutions of lead acetate and subacetate, and of copper and 

 arsenic salts, precipitate meconates, sulphates and coloring matters, but the 

 opium remains physiologically active. Ferric chloride produces a deep red color 

 with opium, by its union with meconic acid. Tannin compounds precipitate 

 codeine tannate. Alkalies, their carbonates and ammonia precipitate morphine 

 and narcotine. 



Dose.—n., 3i-ii, (4-8) ; C, 5ii-iv, (8-15) ; Sh., gr.x-xxx, (.6-2) ; Sw., 

 gr.v-xx, (.3-1.3); D., gr.ss-iii, (.08-.2). 



Opii Pulvis. Powdered Opium. (U. S. P.) 



Opium dried at a temperature not exceeding 70° C, and reduced to a very 



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