Observations and Experiments on Opium. 27 



Digest one ounce coarsely powdered opium in one pint of 

 «ether for ten days, frequently submitting it to ebullition in a 

 water bath ; separate the aether, and add fresh portions, until 

 the opium is exhausted ; evaporate at the common tempera- 

 ture of the atmosphere, by placing the aetherial solution in a 

 salt mouth bottle, remove the stopper and cover the mouth 

 with bibulous paper, to prevent impurities falling in, and pro- 

 tract the degree of evaporation ; as the aether is reduced, it 

 leaves the sides of the bottle coated with crystals of narco- 

 tine ; as the solution becomes more dense the crystals en- 

 large and accumulate, and the bottom of the vessel is cover- 

 ed with large transparent crystals, accompanied with a brown 

 viscid liquor and extract which contains an acid, resin, 

 caoutchouc, &c. ; separate these substances from the crys- 

 taline mass, and wash the salt in successive portions of cold 

 aether, to remove the extract. After the crystals have been 

 sufficiently washed, dissolve them in warm aether and evapo- 

 rate slowly as before, when most beautiful snow white crys- 

 tals of perfectly pure narcotine will adhere to the sides of the 

 vessel ; those on the sides of the bottle assume plumose and 

 aborescent forms which being made up of delicate acicular 

 crystals of a silky lustre, possess a most beautiful appearance. 

 As the aetherial solution becomes more dense by a concen- 

 tration of the narcotine, the crystals enlarge and the bottom 

 of the vessel, as before, is covered with perfectly pure 

 narcotine, assuming the rhomboidal prismatic form, with 

 some beautiful modifications of macled crystals ; the crystals 

 at the bottom and sides approaching the bottom, are per- 

 fectly transparent, while the most minute at the top are 

 opaque being snow white. By picking out the largest and 

 most regular crystals, and again dissolving them and evapo- 

 rating and repeating the same process, each time selecting 

 the largest and best crystals, I obtained perfect crystals one 

 eighth of an inch in diameter, and I believe by continuing 

 to operate in the same manner, much larger might be obtain- 

 ed, as they increased by every crystalisation. 



Resin, Caoutchouc, Oil and Acid. 



These substances are the constituents of the extractive mat- 

 ter which covers the crystals, and is separated in the manner 

 above described ; on evaporation it forms an extract without 

 signs of crystalisation. This substance possesses all the heavy 

 narcotic odour of the opium. The narcotine, when perfectly 



