604 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [January 28,1871. 
somewhat smaller; that is, they are ovate or elliptical, 
rather regular in outline, hut flattened, so that when 
seen sideways, they are lenticular, with rounded ends. 
At first a mounting of this starch seems to consist of 
two kinds of starch mixed together, but a few moments’ 
examination soon proves that the narrow granules 
are only the broad ones set on edge. 
The only form in which this drug is found in the 
bazaars is in circular slices, a hue or a line and a 
half in thickness, and about the size of a “ fourpenny 
piece,” very white and friable internally, with a red¬ 
dish-brown edge, and fragrant. Insects seem to 
have a great partiality for it, especially weevils, as 
the bottles will soon testify, in which specimens are 
preserved, by the quantity of powder on the bottom. 
The value of this drug as a remedial agent is pro¬ 
bably very small. The great quantity of starch it 
contains would place it, perhaps, on an equality 
with other starchy rhizomes; but its properties as 
an aromatic stimulant would be surpassed by other 
common substances, and the merit it is supposed to 
possess as a tonic may be almost imaginary. 
Dr. Stewart gives some additional uses for the 
plant in his recent work, and the range of growth 
which he found it to extend in the Himalayas. His 
observations are :—This plant is not uncommon in 
parts of the Punjab Himalayas up to near the Jhe- 
lam at least, at from 3500 to 7500 feet. Its large 
broad leaves are twisted and made into coarse mats 
for sleeping on, etc. The tuberous roots have, as 
“ wild ginger,” been tried by Europeans as a pre¬ 
serve, but without success. In Garliwal I was told 
they are used in washing the newly married; and 
Madden states that they are pounded with tobacco 
for the hookah. They are officinal under the above 
names, being considered tonic and stimulant. Honig- 
berger is apparently in error in stating that they 
are only used in veterinary medicine. Cayley men¬ 
tions that there is some import from the south of 
Le, and export from the latter to Yarkand of Kachur , 
which is probably this, but may be tekia kachur, or 
nar kuchar, said to be the produce of Curcuma Ze- 
rumbet. Davies’ trade report gives 25 maunds of 
Kachur as annually exported via Peshawur to 
Affghanistan.* 
* Stewart’s‘Punjab Plants,’pp. 239. Lahore, 1869. 
CHINESE NATIVE OPIUM. 
In confirmation of the remarks recently published 
in the Journal on the extensive production and con¬ 
sumption of native opium in China, the following de 
tails may be given. They are from a detailed report of 
an inland journey made by Mr. Moss at the expense 
of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce, presented 
to the Chamber in November, 1870. The informa¬ 
tion is therefore recent, and may also be considered 
authentic. It is not likely to see the light in the 
official British consular reports for some time to come. 
Although all the foreign opium which is smoked in 
the country pierced by the West River is smuggled, 
and there is no means for estimating, even approxi¬ 
mately, the quantity actually imported, it is impos¬ 
sible to arrive at any other conclusion than that 
in proportion to the consumption of the native drug 
it is trifling and unimportant. In the opium shops 
of Wucliaupu, and in all the towns to the westward, 
the foreign drug is rarely asked for, and that from 
Yunnan is exclusively smoked. What little foreign 
is used is Bengal, brought ball by ball up the river 
to Wucliau, and overland to the towns beyond from 
Vakpoi. Its price in the first week in July at the 
former city was 5 dollars per catty, or about 15 
dollars per ball. At Tsunchaupu in June the price 
was dollars 5.10 per catty, and at Hwangchau a 
little over 5 dollars, or about (500 dollars per chest. 
The prepared drug was to be obtained at from 4 
mace 8 candareens to 5 mace 5 candareens per tael 
weight, the average being about 5 mace per tael. 
Yunnan opium, on the other hand, was being retailed 
at from 3 mace 6 candareens to 4 mace per tael weight, 
according to its purity and quality. A common land 
was purchasable at 3 mace. The raw drug is in 
round flat casks, about 6 inches hi diameter by about 
2 inches thick, weighing from 12 to 20 taels, and 
more or less adulterated with gritty, earthy matter. 
It was sold at from 18 to 20 taels per 100 taels 
weight; and old drug in the first week of July was 
selling at Wucliaupu at 12^ taels. These rates were 
considered high. In the previous year the drug had 
been as low as 15 taels per 100 taels weight. From 
15 to 20 taels per 100 taels weight is equivalent to 
335 to 446 dollars per picul (133| lb.). 
Although it is smuggled into the country, and the 
very heavy exactions it is subjected to are evaded, 
the price of the Indian production, as compared 
with that of the native-grown commodity, is so high 
as practically to exclude it from consumption; and 
inquiry leads to the conclusion that, unless its price 
be reduced to approach closely to that of the latter, 
its superior quality, stronger flavour and greater 
narcotic power will fail to obtain for it an increased 
demand. It does not appear that foreign opium has 
ever been smoked in these regions by the bulk of the 
people; and if the statements of old smokers and 
of shopkeepers are to be credited,—and there seems 
to be no reason for discrediting them,—it cannot but 
be believed that for at least two generations native- 
grown opimn only, from the province of Yunnan, 
has been almost solely consumed. There is no tiling 
to show that its use has increased: on the contrary, 
it is obvious that the opposite must have been the 
case from the destruction of large cities, the diminu¬ 
tion of the population generally over the country, 
consequent on the Taeping rebellion, and horn the 
state of warfare which has existed during the past 
fifteen years and longer in the Yunnan Province, 
