March, 1848. OPIUM MANUFACTURE. 85 



The poppy-petal pancakes, each about a foot radius, are 

 made in the fields by women, by the simple operation of 

 pressing the fresh petals together. They are brought in 

 large baskets, and purchased at the commencement of the 

 season. The liquor with which the pancakes are agglu- 

 tinated together by the ball-maker, and worked into the 

 ball, is merely inspissated opium-water, the opium for 

 which is derived from the condemned opium, (Passewa,) 

 the washing of the utensils, and of the workmen, every one 

 of whom is nightly laved before he leaves the establishment, 

 and the water is inspissated. Thus not a particle of opium 

 is lost. To encourage the farmers, the refuse stalks, leaves, 

 and heads are bought up, to pack the balls with ; but this 

 is far from an economical plan, for it is difficult to keep the 

 refuse from damp and insects. 



A powerful smell of opium pervaded these vast buildings, 

 which Dr. Corbett* assured me did not affect himself or 

 the assistants. The men work ten hours a day, becoming 

 sleepy in the afternoon ; but this is only natural in the hot 

 season : they are rather liable to eruptive diseases, possibly 

 engendered by the nature of their occupation. 



Even the best East Indian opium is inferior to the 

 Turkish, and owing to peculiarities of climate, will 

 probably always be so. It never yields more than five 

 per cent, of morphia, whence its inferiority, but is as good 

 in other respects, and even richer in narcotine. 



The care and attention devoted to every department of 

 collecting, testing, manipulating, and packing, is quite 

 extraordinary ; and the result has been an impulse to the 

 trade, beyond what was anticipated. The natives have 



* I am greatly indebted to Mr. Oldfield, the Opium Agent, and to Dr. Corbett, 

 for a complete set of specimens, implements, and drawings, illustrating the 

 cultivation and manufacture of Opium. They are exhibited in the Kew Museum 

 of Economic Botany. 



