January 7, 1871.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
543 
the sleep it produces is gentle, calm and continued; at 
least, this is the general rule, but, of course there are 
exceptions, and medical men complain that its ad¬ 
ministration is attended with uncertain results, and 
that its quality is not so good as it was when first 
introduced, and can anything justify these assertions 
more than the foregoing results; but even with true 
hydrate of chloral we must expect to find exceptional 
cases so long as human beings differ so greatly in 
temperament, constitution, and sensibility to the 
action of medicine. 
That hydrate of chloral ought to be perfectly pure 
when used in medicine is unquestionable; the sub¬ 
stitution of alcoholate is quite sufficient to produce 
most of the ill effects attributed to chloral. In fact, 
instead of being a hypnotic, it has a tendency to pro¬ 
duce mental excitement, as ordinary stimulants. 
The dose of hydrate of chloral is from 5 grains to 
80 or 40 grains, according to the purpose for which 
it is required. A case is on record where 100 grains 
were taken accidentally without an} 7 evil results ; but 
I am informed that there is danger in continued 
small doses. Very unexpected results have, in a few 
instances, occurred. And here I would strongly 
caution pharmaceutists not to prescribe its use them¬ 
selves, or supply it to the public without the sanc¬ 
tion of a medical man. 
Hydrate of chloral has been successfully adminis¬ 
tered as an antidote to strychnia. 
Hydrate of chloral cannot, in consequence of its 
chemical properties, be administered in the shape of 
pills or in the form of powder ; it is, therefore, ne¬ 
cessary almost to confine its use to solutions. For 
dispensing purposes, Liebreicli recommends a solu¬ 
tion of the hydrate in its own weight of water. In 
small doses it can be given without the addition of 
a corrective, but simply dissolved in distilled water. 
There are several pharmaceutical preparations in 
which the hydrate of chloral is disguised, or its taste 
modified, in various ways. Of the syrups contain¬ 
ing 10 grains of Liebreicli’s hydrate in each dram, 
one made with syrup, primi virg. is used in Ame¬ 
rica ; it is most palatable. Another is made with 
syr. tolu; others with syr. flor. aurant., syrup, cort. 
aurant. (as suggested by Liebreicli). Another is 
flavoured with almonds (Ferris). There is also a 
draught containing half dram chloral, with syrup 
tolu, tinct. ginger and peppermint water. Lozenges 
containing 1 grain hydrate of chloral in each are 
manufactured by Messrs. Meggeson and Co. 
Spiritus chloralis is made by Savory and Moore. 
It has a very agreeable taste and smell, but I was not 
able to obtain any deposit upon evaporating a little. 
Limousin’s capsules are known to contain alco¬ 
holate of chloral, because true hydrate cannot be 
secured in a gelatinous envelope. 
In prescribing and dispensing hydrate of chloral, 
it should be borne in mind that no corrective with 
alkaline reaction can be employed with it, because 
such an administration would bring about the trans¬ 
formation of the substance. 
In concluding this paper, I must add that I have 
no interest whatever in putting forward the claims 
of Liebreicli’s manufacture, further than a feeling of 
moral duty to the medical profession, pharmacists 
mid the public, together with the conviction that 
other manufactures which have come under my no¬ 
tice do not attain the desired standard. It appears 
that the importers of this article now know a gua¬ 
ranteed hydrate of chloral and an unguaranteed 
hydrate of chloral. There is a guarantee to the con¬ 
sumer, which is the protection of the hydrate manu¬ 
factured under Leibreich's supervision ; this is a re¬ 
gistered trade mark. It is offered in three forms— 
cake, crystal and powder; but the action of the cake 
is more to be relied upon. Each product should be 
kept in well-stoppered bottles. The large quantity 
which the bottles with the registered trade mark con¬ 
tain is, I think, a drawback to its more universal 
application; and I think, if the agents of this manu¬ 
facture could be induced to supply it in smaller 
bottles,—say from 1 oz. upwards,—with the registered 
label on each bottle, and could produce it at a cost 
more in proportion with the competition, they would 
not only further the objects of the discoverer by 
more satisfactory and uniform results being pro¬ 
duced, but also benefit mankind in general. 
NOTE ON AUSTRALIAN OPIUM.* 
BY J. S. WARD. 
The large sum paid as duty on all opium imported 
into Australia has caused the experiment of growing 
poppies for the production of opium to be tried for 
two or three years in different parts of the colony of 
Victoria with good success. The product has been 
of a tolerably uniform quality, and the samples have 
yielded variable quantities of morphia. 
The sample of which I shall treat was sent by 
Mr. Francis, a Melbourne pharmaceutist, formerly 
with Messrs. J. Bell and Co., 338, Oxford Street, to 
Mr. T. H. Hills. I have been requested by the 
latter gentleman to examine it and lay the result 
before this meeting. 
But before going into particulars as to its quality, 
I shall read an extract from Mr. Francis’ letter re¬ 
ferring to the cultivation of the poppies and the col¬ 
lection of this opium:— 
“ The poppies, from which the present sample was 
extracted, were grown in Gipps Land, a vast tract of 
country forming the south-east portion of the colony 
of Victoria. The land taken up was one quarter 
acre. The plants were placed nine inches apart, in 
rows two feet six inches from each other. They 
were planted in July, the opium was extracted in the 
December following. Each plant attained a height 
of from five to six feet, the number of capsules on 
each averaging ten. The mode of gathering was- 
as follows:—The capsules were nicked in the after¬ 
noon of the day by one person, another following 
immediately after, gathering the drops as they fell. 
The liquor, being very thick, was then placed in tin 
dishes and exposed to the sun till a proper con¬ 
sistence was attained. The gross yield of opium 
from the quarter acre of the consistence of the sample 
sent was 14 lbs. weight. You will notice that the 
mode of collecting is somewhat different to that 
spoken of by Pereira, and it was found better to col¬ 
lect towards evening than in the morning, on ac¬ 
count of the heavy morning dews. 
“ I have seen other samples of opium prepared and 
grown in the colony, but got up more closely to re¬ 
semble the ordinary article of commerce ; they com¬ 
pared very unfavourably with the one sent. 
“ I might, perhaps, mention that I paid 52s. per lb. 
for the opium ; but I bought it rather on account of 
its novelty than for any other reason. I have not 
* Read at the Evening Meeting of the Pharmaceutical 
Society, Jan. 4, 1871. 
