236 ON THE CULTIVATION OF 
In the second part of this memoir, I shall examine the chemical pro- 
perties of the cane juice, insisting, at the same time, particularly on cer- 
tain substances, the nature and mode of action of which have not, 
perhaps, up to the present time been sufficiently determined. In the 
third part 1 shall endeavour to determine the causes of the principal 
change which this liquid undergoes during the process of evaporation by 
the ordinary method adopted in this colony. 
(To be contiuued.) 
ON THE CULTIVATION. OF INDIGENOUS OPIUM. 
BY ALPHONSE ODEPH. 
Pharmaceutical Chemist at Leuxeuil (Haute Saone) ; ex-Membre de la Commis- 
sion d'Hygiene et de Salubrite ; Awarded the Gold Medal in 1864 au 
Concour Eegional d'Eipnal ; Seven times distinguished for his Works on 
Opium ; a Liberal Professor and Founder of Public and Gratuitous Lec- 
tures on the Culture of this Narcotic ; Honorary Member of the Agricul- 
tural Committee of Dampierre and of Champlitte, &c, &c. 
1. On the possibility of obtaining in France a greater quantity of indi- 
genous Opium than that of foreign, which is imported each year for the 
consumption of the country. 
Opium is the white milky juice which flows from the capsules or heads 
of the poppy whilst green, by making slight incisions of the surface. 
Since the time of Belon, who was the first to advise the preparation 
of it in France, there have been a succession of names connected with 
this oriental culture under whose shadow I scarcely dare place myself. 
Messrs. Dubne at Rouen in 1779-1800 ; Britanneau at Chenoncon, near 
Tours, in 1805 ; Loiseleur de Longchamps in 1807, near Paris ; Pelle- 
tier, Merat-Guillot at Auxeire, in 1818 ; Petit at Corbeil, in 1826 ; 
General Lamargne at Eyeres, in Landes, in 1828 ; Hardy and Simon in 
Algeria, in 1843 and 1844 ; Professor Aubergier at Clermont-Ferrand 
from 1841 to 1854; Decharme, Professor Benard and Dechamps at 
Amiens in 1854 and 1856; Professor Roux at Rochefort in 1851-1856, 
1857 and 1858 ; Lepage in Gisons in 1857, 1858 to 1859. These have 
all made very valuable experiments, and published excellent works on 
the possibility of this culture in France ; but not one of them have 
distinctly stated what remains to be done in order that we may finally 
dispense with foreign opium. To know this we must first ascertain the 
quantity of opium imported into France each year. To the kindness of 
Monsieur Barbier, conseiller d'etat, director- general of customs and of 
contributions indirectes, I owe the knowledge of these quantities during 
