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PH A RMA GO ONO , S’ Y . 
cent., and narceine. Opium also contains about 5 per 
cent, of meconic acid, which gives with ferric chloride 
a deep-red color, and the yield of ash is 4 to 8 per cent. 
Allied Products. — Persian Opium. — Usually in more 
or less conical masses weighing about 350 grammes, and 
usually wrapped in paper; externally dark brown; 
internally more or less homogeneous. 
Indian Opium. — In flat cakes weighing about 200 
grammes or rounded masses weighing about 2 kilo- 
grammes wrapped in oiled paper. This variety is sent 
chiefly to China. 
Adulterants. — Opium sometimes contains frag- 
ments of the capsules, the pulp of tigs and other fruits, 
tragacanth, starch, and various inorganic substances, 
as clay, sand, etc. While starch is not usually admixed 
with Turkey opium it is nearly always present in the 
Persian variety. 
ALOE (Aloes). 
The inspissated juice of the leaves of various species 
of Aloe (Pam. Liliaceie), perennial succulents indig- 
enous to Africa and India and naturalized in the West 
Indies. There are three principal commercial varie- 
ties of aloes: (I) Socotrine Aloes, derived from Aloe 
Perryi, and probably other species of Aloe, growing on 
the island of Socotra and in Eastern Africa, and ex- 
ported by way of Bombay ; (2) Curagao Aloes obtained 
from Aloe Chinensis and Aloe vera growing in Curagao 
and other islands of the Dutch West Indies; and (3) 
Cape Aloes, obtained from a certain species of Aloe 
growing in Southern Africa, and exported from Cape 
Town and Mossel Bay. The leaves of the Aloe plant 
are cut transversely and the juice which exudes is 
allowed to evaporate spontaneously, it being usually, 
however, concentrated by boiling and then poured into 
