20S 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [September o, 1871. 
CHINESE AND INDIAN OPIUM. 
The report from her Majesty’s Consul at Shanghae, 
just published, states that the importation of Indian 
opium into China has been seriously affected by the 
competition it has met with from the native drug. 
Although the consumption of opium in China in¬ 
creases, year by year, the import of the foreign drug 
during the past four years has decreased, or, at the 
most, has remained stationary. A considerable 
quantity of the native drug from the provinces of 
Szeclmen, Kweichow, and Yunan, now finds its way 
to Shangliae, where it is remuneratively disposed of 
at about half the price of the Malwa opium. 
As an illustration of the extent to which the 
market is influenced by the rapidly increasing growth 
of the native poppy, it may be mentioned that in 
1809, a report having become current that the 
Chinese Government had determined to put a stop 
to the growth of the poppy in its dominions, a brisk 
demand for Indian opium sprang up in consequence, 
which led to a rise of twenty per cent, in the price. 
When, however, it became evident that the Govern¬ 
ment had no real intention of carrying out such a 
project the price again receded. 
Persian opium is reported to be coming into greater 
favour with the natives, especially in the northern 
provinces, where it is sold at a price considerably 
below that of Malwa. 
ADULTERATION OF TEA. 
Of all the articles of domestic use which in their 
turn are reported to undergo the process of adulte¬ 
ration, there is perhaps not one that bears a worse 
reputation than tea. Only a short time since a 
question was asked in the House of Commons in 
reference to a quantity of tea that had arrived in the 
clocks, in which it was said that large quantities of 
iron-filings were present. Since then other adulte¬ 
rations have been reported as being practised by the 
Chinese, some of which are positively loathsome, 
and it is almost a relief to hear of one in which at 
least the repulsive features are absent. 
Colonel Medhurst, her Majesty’s Consul at 
Shangliae, reports an innovation in the art of adul¬ 
teration, by means of willow leaves, which has re¬ 
cently sprung up, and threatens to grow into a trade 
that will seriously affect the quality of all classes of 
green tea sent from that port. He gives the follow¬ 
ing particulars concerning this fresh addition to ocu¬ 
list of adulterants:— 
“ The preparation of the willow leaf for mixture with 
tea is openly practised in the villages of the Hong-keu 
side of the Soo-chow Creek, and it has become an in¬ 
dustry which claims an important share of the attention 
of the villages of that and other localities. The banks 
of the numerous creeks are planted with willow-trees, the 
young leaves of which are collected in April and May, 
very much in the way that the tea leaf is gathered. The 
produce is then collected in heaps on the hard threshing- 
floors of the hamlets, and is allowed to undergo a mild 
fermentation in the sun. The leaves are then manipu¬ 
lated similarly to those of the ordinary tea-plant. They 
are sorted into kinds according to sizes, and afterwards- 
roasted in common tea ovens. The appearance of the- 
stuff after this treatment is not unlike that of the genuine 
article, and it is carried to Shanghae and there inter¬ 
mixed with pure tea, at a ratio of from 10 to 20 per cent- 
“ The cultivation and preparation of willow leaves- 
were begun in Shanghae about ten years ago, and have- 
increased year by year. The poorer classes near 
Shanghae have for a long period consumed this leaf as- 
an infusion in place of tea, the latter being too expen¬ 
sive for them to purchase. As far as I can gather, its. 
use is productive of no ill effect, but its flavour has not 
the slightest resemblance to any known tea. The cost 
of the article cannot exceed 2d. per pound, but when 
mixed with tea and so sold to foreigners, it must repre¬ 
sent a very large profit to the producers. 
“ The interference of the authorities with regard to> 
this spurious manufacture may shortly be necessary for 
the purpose, if not of its actual prohibition, which may 
not be possible, at ail events of placing it under such.' 
control as that foreigners may be in a position to satisfy 
themselves as to the quantity produced, and the propor¬ 
tions used in mixing; so that the adulterated article 
may take its proper position in the tea market. 
“ From inquiries instituted through the superinten¬ 
dent of police, it transpires that there are at this moment, 
about 400 piculs, say 53,000 lbs. of this willow leaf in. 
the course of preparation at various drying-houses in 
the foreign settlements at Shanghae. The probable- 
amount made up last season is estimated at not less than 
3000 piculs or 400,000 lbs. I am not aware that any 
analysis of the properties of the willow leaf has as yet 
been made at Shanghae: but attention to the above facts 
will doubtless bring about an investigation of the kind, 
which is certainly demanded in the general interest, by 
the rapid expansion which is exhibiting itself in this, 
feature of the tea trade.” 
MEETINGS OF GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN: 
SOCIETIES. 
The season of the various annual meetings of 
scientific societies on the Continent has commenced, 
as the following list, taken from the Zeitschrift cleiv 
allg. oest. Apothekerverein, will show, viz. : — 
Naturforscher Yersammlung. The forty-fourth- 
meeting of German natural philosophers and physi¬ 
cians at Rostock, Mecklenburg, from 18tli to 24tli insfc.. 
Norddeutscher Apothekerverein, North German; 
Pharmaceutical Union, Sept. 14 to 10, at Dresden. 
Fifth general meeting of the Union AEsculapius. 
of surgeons at Salzburg, took place Aug. 28 to 30. 
Fifteenth meeting of Hungarian physicians and. 
natural philosophers took place at Arad, from August 
28tli to September 2nd. 
Tenth general meeting of the Austrian Pharma¬ 
ceutical Society was held at Linz, Sept. 3 to 5. 
Borax is said to occur in a crystallized state in a 
lake in Lake comity, California. Until the winter 
of 1809 this lake was so shallow that the proprietors - 
were able to obtain the borax cheaply by dredging. 
But the unusual quantity of rain that fell during 
that season increased the depth to eighteen feet, and 
the work was consequently suspended. This deposit 
of borax is supposed to be the largest in the world.. 
