O P I 



OPELOUSAS, in Geography, a county and parifh of 

 the territory of Orleans, containing, in 1810, 5048 inhabi- 

 tants. This territory prefents a great variety of foil, or, if 

 we except the fugar-cane and orange-tree, the cultivation of 

 moft valuable vegetables has fucceeded. Cotton, indigo, 

 and tobacco, have been and the former now is the ftaple 

 commodity of the country ; to which we may add, cattle, 

 hides, leather, cheefe, beef, and pork. 



OPHIDIUM, 1. 25, add— See Dr. Brouffonet's de- 

 fcription of this fifh in the Phil. Tranf. vol. Ixxi. 



OPHIOPOGON, \n Botany, from o^i.-, a ferpcnt, and 

 ffwywv, a beard, a trandation of the Japanefe name, R'luno 

 Fige, but the apphcation is not very evident. — Ker in Curt. 

 Mag. 1063. Ait. Hort. Kew. v. 2. 281. — Clafs and 

 order, Hexanelrla Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Sarmentacee, Linn. 

 jifparagi, Juff. 



EflT. Ch. Corolla half fuperior, permanent. Anthers 

 feflile. Stigma fimple. Berry with" one feed. 



I. O. japonicus. Japan Snake's-beard. Curt. Mag. 

 t. 1063. (Convallaria japonica ; Linn. Suppl. 204. 

 Redout. Lil. t. 80. Mondo ; Kasmpf. Am. Exot. 823. 

 t. 824.) — Native of Japan, where it ferves as edgings in 

 flovi-er-gardens. A hardy graffy plant, with cluilers of 

 greenifh-white^O'Zi'iTj, and blue berries. The knobs of the 

 root candied, are efteemed medicinal. 



OPIUM, Chemical Properties of. M. Derofiie, in 1803, 

 publifhed an analyfis of opium, in which he announced the 

 exiitence of a peculiar cryllallizable fubftance to which that 

 drug owes its narcotic properties, whence it was named the 

 Narcotic Principle (which fee). Soon afterwards, 

 M. Sertiirner publifhed an analyfis of the fame fubftance, 

 but the refults of the two chemiils were fo different, as to 

 render both doubtful. This latter chemift, however, pur- 

 fued the fubjeft, and at length fucceeded in feparating a 

 peculiar fubftance from opium, which he denominated 

 morphia. It is to this principle that opium owes its nar- 

 cotic properties ; and the narcotic principle of Derofne, ac- 

 cording to Sertiirner, is a compound of morphia, and a 

 peculiar acid called the meconic, which opium contains. 

 This latter circumftance, however, has been fince called in 

 queftion by Robiquet. 



According to Sertiirner, morphia occurs in opium com- 

 bined with meconic acid. There are different methods of 

 feparating morphia from opium. Sertiirner effefted it by 

 adding acetic acid, and thus forming an impure acetate of 

 morphia. The acetic acid was then feparated by ammonia, 

 and the morphia thus obtained purified by means of alcohol. 

 Others, after feparating the extraneous matter as much as 

 poffible, add at once to the watery folution of opium pure 

 ammonia, to precipitate the morphia, which is to be purified 

 as before. 



Morphia thus obtained is cryftallized in the form of 

 double four-fided pyramids, whofe bafes are fquares or 

 rettangles, and fometimes of four-fided prifms with trape- 

 zoidal bafes. It diflblves in eighty-two times its weight of 

 boiling water, and the folution on cooling depofits regular 

 colourlefs tranfparent cryftals. It is foluble in thirty-fix 

 times its weight of boiling alcohol, in forty-two times its 

 weight of cold alcohol, and in eight times its weight of ful- 

 phuric ether. All thefe folutions change the infufion of 

 Brafil wood to violet, and the tinfture of rhubarb to brown, 

 thus denoting diftinft alkaline properties. They have a 

 bitter and peculiar aftringcnt tafte ; and the faturated folu- 

 tions, when rubbed upon the (l<in, leave a red mark. It aft« 

 with great energy on the animal economy. Half a grain 

 being fwallowed by a yoing man of feventeen, produced a 

 flufhmg in the face and an augmentation of the mufcular 



O R F 



energy ; another half grain being fwallowed half an hour 

 afterwards, occafioned a dull pain in the head, giddinefs, 

 ftupor, and naufea. A third half grain aggravated the fymp- 

 toms fo much, that Sertiirner became alarmed, and made 

 his patient fwallow a quantity of vinegar. But the fymp- 

 toms were rather aggravated and continued all night, though 

 they were removed next morning by the ufe of mao-nefia. 



Morphia readily combines with the different acids, neu- 

 tralizes them, and thus forms falts, of the properties of 

 which the following is a brief fummary. The carbonate of 

 morphia cryftallizes in (hort prifms. Tlie acetate of morphia 

 cryftallizes, but is very foluble in water. The fulphate of 

 morphia is likewife very foluble. The muriate of morphia 

 affumes a plumofe appearance, and is much lefs foluble than 

 any of the other falts of morphia. The nitrate of morphia 

 cryftallizes in prifms. 



Dr. Thomfon eftimates the weight of the atom of mor- 

 phia, from the experiments of Choulant, at 82.5; but this 

 probably differs confiderably from the truth. 



Meconic Acid. — This acid may be obtained from the 

 infufion after the morphia has been feparated by ammonia 

 as above-mentioned, by adding muriate of barytes as Ion? 

 as any precipitate falls, which is meconiate of barytes. To 

 obtain the meconic acid from this fait, M. Choulant tritu- 

 rated it in a mortar with its own weight of glaffy boracic 

 acid. This mixture being put into a fmall glafs fiaflc 

 expofed gradually to heat in a fand-bath, the meconic acid 

 fublimed in tlie ftate of fine white fcales or plates. 



Meconic acid thus obtained has a ftrong four tafte, which 

 leaves behind it an impreffion of bitternefs. It is readily 

 foluble in water, alcohol, and ether. It reddens the greater 

 number of vegetable blues, and changes the folution of iron 

 to a cherry-red colour ; when thefe folutions are heated, the 

 iron is precipitated in the ftate of protoxyd. This acid 

 luiites with the different bafes forming meconlates. The 

 meconiate of potafh cryilallizes in four-fided tables, and is 

 foluble in twice its weight of water. The meconiate of foda 

 cryftalhzes in foft prifms, and is foluble in five times its 

 weight of water. It feems to efHorefce. The meconiate of 

 ammonia cryftallizes in ftar-form needles, which when fub- 

 limed lofe their water of cryftallization, and affume the 

 form of fcales. The meconiate of lime cryftallizes in prifms, . 

 and is foluble in eight times its weight of water. Dr. 

 Thomfon eilimates the weight of the atoms of this acid, 

 from the experiments of Choulant, at 27.5 ; but this can only 

 be confidered as an approximation. 



Such is a brief account of the principles which cheniifts 

 have lately detetled in opium, and which, from the import- 

 ance of the fubjetl, we have thouglu proper to infert 

 here. 



ORANGE, 1. 2, r. 25,247. Col. 2, 1. 4, r. 1686 ; 1. 7, 

 r. 229; 1. II, r. 764; 1.13, /■. 34,347; 1. 14, r. 966; 

 1. 22, — The number of inhabitants in 1 8 10 was 2266, includ- 

 ing 48 flaves ; 1. 27, r. 12,323 inhabitants, of whom 6516 

 were fiaves in 1810. 



ORANGEBURG, 1. 6, r. 13,229—6564. 

 ORES, Chemical Analyfis of . See Analysis. 

 ORFA, in Geography, the prefent name of the ancient 

 Edejfa (which fee), from which the pachalic of Orfa 

 derives its appellation. This pachahc is almoil entirely- 

 encircled by the windings of the Euphrates and the river 

 Khabour, and occupies a confiderable portion of the moft 

 barren part of Mefopotamia. In the early ages of the 

 Roman empire, this divifion of Mefopotamia bore the name 

 of Ofrhoene. It had fubfifted S43 years as an independent 

 kingdom, when it was reduced under the form of a province 

 by Caracalla, who led Abgarus, the laft of its kings, in 



ciiains 



