Foreign Vegetables. 367 
of a brown Colour or inclining to Black, and of a 
ffrong, viroie, ftupefa£tive Smell. When it is dry 
and friable, or fcorched, mixed with Sand, Gravel, 
or other Impurities, it is bad. 
The Ancients diftinguiflied two Sorts of Poppy - 
Juice. One was the Tear which iffued from the 
wounded Heads of the cultivated Poppy, and was 
called oVos, and by the Phyficians "Okm. 
The other, termed M wuvuov or MWwov, was the 
infpiffated Juice of the whole Plant extra6fed by 
bruifing it. They reckoned Meconium much more 
inert than Opium. But at prefent we have only one 
Sort brought to us, under the Name of Opium , 
namely, the Juice which flows from Inciflons in the 
Heads of the white Poppy ; nor is any other Sort 
to be met with among the Turks, and Inhabitants of 
C 011ft ant inople , befides that which is brought to us in 
Cakes : Though the Perjians diftinguifh the Juice 
iflfuing from the Heads into three Sorts, efteeming 
that which is firft procured from them the belt, as 
we fhall mention below. 
The Poppy from which this Juice is drawn is 
called Papaver hortenfe femine albo , Sativum Diofco- 
ridi , album P Uni 0, C. B. P. 170. In many Provinces 
of the Lejfer Afia it is Town in the Fields, as Wheat 
is here. When the Heads of the Plant are formed, 
fome flight Inciflons are made into them, and a 
milky Juice iflfues from the Wounds in Drops, 
which is left to thicken in the Sun, and then ga- 
thered. Tournefort fays that the greater Quantity 
of Opium is extracted from the Pleads by Contufion 
and Expreflion : But both Bellonius and Kcsmpfer are 
fllent upon this Method of procuring it. 
In Perfia Opium is gathered in the Beginning of 
Summer, when the Heads are come near to Ma- 
turity, by wounding them Crofs-wife. The Knife 
which ferves for this Buflnefs, having five Edges, 
makes 
