58 
On the Package of Drugs, 
XV. — On the Package of Valuable Drugs, and especially of Opium. 
The importance of the subject on which I am about to offer some details, partly 
with the view of attracting attention to it, and partly with the view' of doing justice 
to the ingenious views and able suggestions of a very meritorious individual, is so 
obvious, as scarcely to require much illustration. The monopoly of this drug sup- 
plies a very considerable item in the Honorable Company’s revenue, and there is lit- 
tle doubt but that any really important improvement in the management of it will 
not only receive every attention, but earn for the author something more solid than 
mere approbation. The late Mr. Fleming, who introduced the great, yet obvious im- 
provement of packing the drug in its own leaves (petals) instead of those of tobacco, 
which had till then been used, received from the Honorable Court, in testimony of 
the advantages reaped from his suggestion, the sum of 50,000 Rupees. Nor will this 
sura be judged too great by any one who will consider the improvement in price 
which was effected by so simple an arrangement, which yet had escaped the sagacity 
of all, till then, connected with the Opium Department. The trade is now of far 
greater importance than it was then, and were it possible (as indeed few, capable of 
judging, doubt) to make the whole of the trade pass through the Government agencies, 
the improvements proposed would be of still greater consequence. Fifteen thousand 
chests have been sold in China alone, to which is to be added the demands of India 
and of Europe. Even the above quantity, at but 1000 Rupees a chest, amounts to 150 
lacks, or 1§ crore. It is to be considered too, that every means of improving the 
drug or its appearance in the market, must render more feasible the scheme of draw- 
ing the whole of the opium into the hands of Government. By producing a superior 
article in larger quantity, they can at any time ruin the smugglers ; and as they can 
afford to sell it cheaper than it can he had any where out of their provinces, it is ob- 
vious that they could, in a few seasons, make the opium of the Company’s provinces 
supersede every other. 
In the improvement of the drug, or rather of its commercial value, a very impor- 
tant consideration is the mode of package. To enable your readers to understand 
the subject, I shall first give some account of the present mode of packing it, and of 
the objections to which it is liable. I shall show, that besides the enormous expense, 
many other evils spring from it : and that to obviate these, by producing a package 
that shall not be liable to them, would be to perform a very considerable service to 
the opium trade. 
I he opium is made up into solid halls oflir. 1 Och. and each ball packed in acase 
made of poppy leaves and paste. This paste is nothing more or less than opium, 
and the quantity used is said to be one eighth of the contents of the ball. This amounts, 
on the whole produce, taken as above, at 150 lacks, to 19 lacks per annum. The 
saving of this sum alone would be no inconsiderable advantage to any method of 
packing which should dispense with the paste. 
But theie is another objection to this leaf-package, which is perhaps even more im- 
portant : — it is this. The balls so prepared are packed in boxes, so that there is ne- 
cessarily much air in the interstices of the halls, and the consequence of this is, that 
chests of opium, so packed, are liable, after a time, particularly if exposed to heat, to 
deteriorate: the cause of this deterioration I am not aware has ever been pointed out, 
though the fact of old opium being much inferior to new is generally k nown. Some 
k T d 0f fe .7" e ? tat, ° n take* p!ace amongst the balls, assisted by the 
leaves, which we know will, it exposed to air, moisture, and heat, rapidly undergo 
change, lhe result being the increase of bulk, by the disengagement of gas, the 
powe^fflve^tftirV f h “ S "t- ° nly tl>e VCry object of the Package defeated, lfut fresh 
povver given to the deteriorating process, whatever that may be 1 . The reader may 
noAVsold ^ e i^ht tl “> h 0bj r ti ? n ,,'^ n , he i3 *M o^um of one"can 
not be sold in another, without a fall m the price in the China market • and in the 
London market, old opium is almost unsaleable * * 
is noSXS th at the paste of the shell 
that in preparing their smokeal le extr-rt tbeVh 8 - 1 ^^ l ° \ he con j ecture of some, 
contents. This is a poi^tS Chinese use the sheilas well as its 
laid upon such an answer to the objection tll . erefore ’ no weight can he 
r ° tl,e ol) J tctu >n. It is quite clear, that if they reject the 
^ t i VjVVW 
i nis sometimes proceeds to mieli in 4.1 , . 
contents are found to be one mass of leaved ° n ?P en 1 u ?8' chest in China, 
balls has disappeared. In one particular j n «t * °P 1 7 j n ’ 111 which evevy trace of distiiu 
of W defective^ - 
