843 



£I)C CrraSttrjj at 3t3atann. 



[PAPH 



the heat of the sun causes.the speedy forma- 

 tion of a film over the exuded juice , great 

 attention is also paid to the weather, pre- 

 vailing winds, dew, &c, as all these causes 

 modify the quantity, quality, or speediness 

 of exudation of the opium. 



The capsules are submitted to two or 

 three slicing processes at intervals of a 

 few days, and the drug is ultimately con- 

 veyed to the government factory, where it 

 is kneaded into a homogeneous mass by 

 native workmen. It is analysed hy native 

 examiners, whose tact and experience are 

 such that the results of their examination 

 differ but very slightly from those afforded 

 hy the more scientific investigation of the 

 European officers. In this manner the qua- 

 lity of the drug is ascertained, its free- 

 dom from adulteration insured, and its 

 strength reduced as nearly as may be to a 

 uniform standard. When thus prepared, 

 the drug is in a fit state for exportation ; 

 and it is then, by means of earthen cups, 

 moulded into spherical masses of the size 

 of a child's head, closely invested on the 

 outside by the dried petals of the flower, 

 compacted together by pressure and by 

 immersion into the gummy fluid residue 

 which drains off from the more solid 

 opium during its preparation. It is re- 

 markable that the natives and govern- 

 ment officials, who thus are exposed to 

 the fumes of this drug for several hours 

 daily, and this at a temperature of 9CP to 

 100 J and upwards, are seldom injuriously 

 affected : some of the operators are literally 

 immersed in opium for several hours daily, 

 so far as regards their legs and arms, and 

 yet slight drowsiness at the end of the 

 day is the sole inconvenience ever expe- 

 rienced, and this by no means frequently. 



The Indian opium is exported in enor- 

 mous quantities to China, in spite of the 

 prohibition of the Chinese government, 

 and its vigorous attempts to prevent the 

 introduction of the drug. Comparatively 

 little Indian opium finds its way into the 

 British markets, where themost'esteemed 

 and most largely used kind is known as 

 Smyrna or Turkey Opium. This is import- 

 ed in irregular masses covered on the out- 

 side with dock-seeds. It is frequently 

 adulterated. Other kinds of opium are oc- 

 casionally imported, but in small quanti- 

 ties. Opium has been prepared of very 

 good quality in this country, hut its ore- 

 paration is not profitable. 



The chemical constitiuion of opium is 

 somewhat intricate and variable; its me- 

 dicinal effects, however, are mainly due to 

 the presence of an alkaloid called morphia. 

 To external appearance opium is a reddish- 

 brown sticky gumlike substance, with a 

 hitter taste, and a peculiar unmistakable 

 perfume. It is beyond all doubt the most 

 valuable of all drugs, and may be used 

 with advantage in an immense number of 

 conditions : to relieve pain, allay spasm, 

 promote sleep, relieve restlessness, pro- 

 duce perspiration, or check excessive dis- 

 charges. In small doses its effects are 

 those of a stimulant, followed by depres- 

 sion 5 in larger doses constipation, perspi- 



ration, contracted pupils, and somnolency 



are induced, and in still larger quanti ties 



! coma and death. These matters, however, 



j as well as the effects of the habitual use of 



j opium internally, or by smoking as prac- 



I tised by the Chinese, hardly come within 



| the limits of this article. The reader is 



referred to the works already mentioned, 



and to De Quincey's Confessions of an Opium 



Eater. It is necessary, however, to caution 



the general reader against accepting as 



! ordinary occurrences those that are excep- 



i tional. [M. T M.J 



I PA PAW A tropical fruit, the produce 

 j of Carica Papaya. —, NORTH AMERI- 

 | CAN. Asimina triloba. 



I PAPAYACEJE. (Caricece, Modeccece, Pa- 

 1 payads.) A natural order of calycifloral di- 

 i cotyledons belonging to Lindley's papayal 

 alliance of diclinous Exogens. They are 

 j trees or shrubs, not branching, with alter- 

 I nate lohed leaves supported on long slen- 

 der petioles, and with unisexual flowers; 

 and are found in South America and in 

 I other warm countries. Calyx minute, five- 

 toothed; corolla monopetalous, inserted 

 •into the hase of the calyx: in the males 

 tubular and flve-lobed , in the females di- 

 ' vided nearly to the base into five segments ; 

 stamens ten,' inserted into the throat of 

 , the corolla; ovary free, one-celled ; ovules 

 indefinite, attached to five parietal placen- 

 tas j stigma five-lohed, lacerated. Fruit 

 usually succulent and indehiscent, some- | 

 i times capsular and dehiscent, one-celled ; j 

 ! seeds indefinite, enveloped in a loose mu- 

 I cous coat , embryo in the axis of fleshy i 

 j albumen. One of the most important 

 I plants of the order is Carica Papaya, the \ 

 ! papaw-tree, which yields an acrid milky 

 ; juice, and an ediblefruit. The juice of the , 



■ unripe fruit is anthelmintic. This tree 

 is said to have the property of rendering | 

 meat tender. Carica and Modecca furnish i 

 examples of the few genera, which contain j 

 some score or more of species. [J. H. B.] 



I PAP A YE R. (Fr.) Carica. 



PAPEETA. An Indian name for the ' 

 St. Ignatius Bean : see Igxatia. 



I PAPER-TREE of Siam. Tropins aspera. 



I PAPERY. In texture, the same as Char- 

 I taceous. 



! PAPHINTA cristata is a very curious 



■ orchid belonging to the Maxillaridce group, 

 native of Trinidad and New Grenada. It 

 forms a peculiar genus, technically distin- 

 guished from its allies by having its four 

 pollen-masses attached in two pairs to a 

 long caudicle, setaceous at its apex, and a 

 minute subtriangular gland. The plant 

 has oblong or ovate compressed, two or 

 three-leaved pseudobulbs, from the base 

 of which issue pendulous one or two-flow- 



t ered peduncles ; the flowers large and con- 

 ' spicuous, with similar and nearly equal- 

 sized fleshy, widely expanded, lanceolate 

 ; sepals and petals, curiously streaked or 

 1 barred and spotted with deep chocolate- 

 brown or purple on a dull white ground, 



