362 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [November 5,1870. 
Native opium sells in Tien-tsin at from 125 taels 
to 200 taels per picul less tlian Indian, and tliougli 
nominally prohibited, it pays a similar local duty to 
foreign. Opium is brought into Tien-tsin either 
crude or prepared. When in the former state it is 
generally spoken of as “tu,” earth or clay, from its 
outward resemblance to lumps or cakes of common 
clay: and the native, as distinguished from the 
foreign, which is termed “yang-tu,” or foreign earth, 
is called “hsi-tu,” or western earth—a name that 
has clearly a geograpliical reference to the producing 
provinces. (Consular Reports, No. 2, 1869.) 
Prepared opium, called “ya-pieu-kao,” is generally 
composed of foreign and native drug boiled down, 
and often largely adulterated by an admixture of 
various glutinous substances, and amongst the rest 
by a decoction of the berries of a leguminous tree 
called the “ huai-shu,” which grows abundantly in 
$he province. 
Before concluding, I may give a few figures show¬ 
ing the imports and consumption of opium in the 
United Kingdom. Opium imported and used in 
this country:— 
Imports. 
lb. 
Consumption. 
lb. 
1830. 
1845. 
1850. 
1855. 
1860. 
1865. 
The Board of Trade returns for the last two years 
are, of course, not yet issued. 
The largely increased imports and consumption, 
unless a greater home stock is held, would give 
ground to the opinion that opium is beginning to be 
used somewhat extensively for other than medicinal 
purposes. 
In 1858 we imported but 82,085 lb., and re¬ 
tained for consumption 77,639 lb. In 1868 we im¬ 
ported (nearly all from Turkey) 322,3091b. and re¬ 
exported 123,965 lb., thus leaving 198,344 for home 
consmnption. The reshipments are principally to 
Holland, the United States, New Granada and the 
West Indies. In the latter countries it is evidently 
destined for consumption by the Chinese. 
NEW REMEDIES. 
The following extracts from a recent lecture by 
Dr. B. W. Richardson will probably be of interest 
to pharmacists:— 
Nitrite of Amyl .—The physiological action of ni¬ 
trite of amyl is directly exerted on the ganglionic 
nervous tract; it paralyses so that the nervous supply 
over the extreme vascular system is impaired; if 
the effect be sustained, the muscular system gene¬ 
rally is thrown into relaxation. The observation of 
this effect of the nitrite has led Dr. Richardson to 
suggest it primarily as a remedy for excessive spas¬ 
modic action,-—for tetanus specially,—and it has 
been applied in that direction with much success. 
Lately, Mr. Foster, of Huntingdon, has administered 
the nitrite with complete success in a case of trau¬ 
matic tetanus,—holding the convulsions in check for 
the long period of nine days. The nitrite is best 
administered by inhalation, five minims on a piece of 
folded linen or handkerchief being the dose for an 
adult. It will act if given by the mouth; but as the 
action is very energetic, and requires to be kept un¬ 
der the control of the administrator, it is much safer 
administered by inhalation. In tetanus, the periods 
of recurrence of the spasmodic attacks should be 
carefully watched, and, when the paroxysm is threat¬ 
ened, the inhalation of the nitrite should commence, 
so as to subdue the spasmodic seizure. The agent 
has been administered also with success in spasmodic 
angina, asthma and colic. 
The action of the nitrite is curative only in so far as 
it controls the spasm,—that is to say, it prevents 
death, and so leaves time for recover}'. Dr. Richard¬ 
son has observed that frogs under strychnine tetanus 
are immediately relieved of spasm by nitrite of amyl, 
and that, with great care in keeping the animals free 
of spasm, they can be sustained until the strychnine 
is removed from the body, when there is recovery; 
in tills explanation he defines the true place of the 
nitrite as a remedy. In tetanus the administration 
of the nitrite is not to be considered as displacing 
other rational means of cure. On the contrary, it 
favours other means; it enables food to be freely 
supplied, it gives time for the action of purgatives 
and diuretics, or for the employment of the liot-air 
bath. 
Caustic Ethylates .—The ethylates are crystalline 
substances, in which one atom of hydrogen of abso¬ 
lute alcohol is substituted by one of potassium or of 
sodium. Brought into contact with the body, the 
ethylates at first produce no action, but as they pick 
up water from the tissues they are decomposed, the 
potassiimi or sodium is oxidized, yielding caustic 
potassa or soda in the fresh state, while alcohol is re¬ 
formed from the recombination of hydrogen derived 
from the water. Dr. Richardson proposes the em¬ 
ployment of these ethylates as caustics. He be¬ 
lieves they will be found to be the most effective and 
manageable of all caustics; and that in cases of 
cancer, when it is desirable to destroy structure 
without resorting to the knife, and in cases of mevus 
and other simple growths, they will be of essential 
service. The ethylates can be held in solution with 
alcohol in various degrees of strength; the solution 
can be applied with a glass brush or injected by the 
needle, and a slow or quick effect can be ensured, 
according to the wish of the operator. The ethylate 
of potassium is the most active agent. 
Triethylic Ether .—When the ethylate of sodium is 
acted upon by chloroform, the chemical action which 
takes place is very fierce, and great care is required 
to secure a fair product. The chlorine of the chlo¬ 
roform combines with the sodium of the ethylate to 
form chloride of sodium, and triethylic ether remains. 
As chloroform contains three atoms of chlorine, eacli 
single part of chloroform decomposes three parts of 
ethylate of sodium. Thus :—3 (C 2 H s Na O), ethylate 
of sodium; CHC] 3 , chloroform = 3 Na Cl, chloride 
of sodium, and C 7 H 16 0 3 , triethylic ether. 
The ether is a heavy, aromatic, ethereal fluid, 
having a vapour density of 74, a specific gravity of 
'896, and a boiling-point of 145° C., 297° F. It acts 
much like alcohol physiologically. Dr. Richardson 
has lately used it as a menstruum of ethylic ether 
for general anaesthesia. The ethylic ether carries 
over with it, in evaporation, sufficient of the heavier 
ether to form a compound vapour which is veiy 
pleasant to breathe and equable in action. He has 
administered this compound twice for operations on 
the eye,—once while Mr. Brudenell Carter operated 
for strabismus, and once while Mr. Walker, of Liver¬ 
pool operated for cataract. The anaesthesia in both 
