J y Observations and Experiments on Opium. 



Opium is the product of the Papaver Somniferum, and is 

 the inspissated juice of the capsules of that plant. It has 

 been improperly termed a gum by many authors and the er- 

 ror prevails to the present day. It is a native of the southern 

 parts of Asia, it may however be raised in our gardens and 

 is now cultivated in England on an imposing scale, and in- 

 creasing for several years. It possesses the same properties 

 as the Turkey or East India opium, and is more pure, con- 

 taining a larger proportion of soluble matter. The Turkey 

 opium has hitherto possessed the best reputation and has 

 been considered superior to any other. Dr. Thomson* in- 

 forms us, that he obtained nearly three times more mor- 

 phia from the Turkey opium, than was yielded by the same 

 quantity of East India. I have treated equal quantities of 

 Turkey and English opium by the same process, and ob- 

 tained twenty per cent, more morphia from the latter than 

 the former ; this would sanction a superiority in favor of the 

 English, which I believe it possesses, and which I think is to 

 be attributed to the careful manner in which it is prepared. 



The following are the prominent characters of the sever- 

 al varieties of opium, by which they may be easily distin- 

 guished. 



Turkey opium is of a reddish brown colour possessing a 

 strong narcotic odour, of a solid and compact consistence, 

 when dry has a shining and uniform fracture of a dark brown 

 colour, producing a reddish brown powder ; the best kind is 

 generally in flat pieces. 



East India opium is of thin consistence, sometimes almost 

 like that of honey ; when dry it is more friable, ks colour 

 nearly black and possesses less bitter and a more nauseous taste 

 than the Turkey ; it has a strong empyreumatic odour, and 

 not the narcotic heavy odour which, is so sensible in the Tur- 

 key ; it is considerably cheaper but much inferior in strength 

 to the latter, and according to Dr. Thomson, contains but 

 one third the quantity of morphia, and a larger proportion 

 of narcotine, which renders it a far less desirable article. Dr, 

 Coxe, in his valuable American Dispensatory, remarks, that 

 one eighth the cakes is allowed for the enormous quantity of 

 leaves with which they are enveloped. This opium is little 

 used in this country and is seldom if ever to be found in the 

 shops of our druggists. 



* London Dispensatory* 



