ON MICROSCOPICAL RESEARCH IN RELATION TO PHARMACY. 237 
alcohol and water, preparations are pretty sure to contain whatever quantity 
does exist in the crude drug, unless it has been removed by chemical means. 
The form of the crystals is primarily a square prism, but we have only seen 
this in minute examples, and it is very difficult to trace the relationship to 
this type in the flat, pointed lozenges, somewhat resembling the attenuated 
forms of uric acid, which generally occur. Even these frequently run into 
still more strange varietal shapes, whose only resemblance to the lozenge- 
form exists in their broad centres and two pointed ends (Plate I. fig. 5 b). 
They all have some effect on the polarized ray. Boiling water decomposes 
meconic acid; carbonic acid is given off', and komenic acid, a substance we 
have not yet studied, is formed. 
We may now proceed to the practical application of the facts enumerated, 
and detail the results of the examination of the many preparations which have 
come under our notice. 
Of Turkey Opium we have investigated—firstly, the tincture, prepared by 
ourselves from different samples of opium, as well as specimens procured from 
certain well-known operative chemists ; secondly, the extract; thirdly, the 
wine; fourthly, the more or less aqueous solutions sold as Liquor Opii 
Sedativus, Battley’s, one or two samples prepared by ouselves, and specimens 
procured from four well-known firms ; and fifthly, certain proprietary opiates, 
viz. “Black Drop,” “Jeremy’s Sedative,” “Nepenthe,” and that sold as 
“ Solution of Bimeconate of Morphia.” 
We have drawn careful figures of the appearances presented by the whole 
of these, which will do more than any description towards giving a correct 
understanding of the facts elicited; at the same time, it may be necessary to 
draw attention to some matters of importance in connection with them. We 
must be excused giving the name of the makers from whom specimens have 
been obtained, in most cases, as it is not our object to sit as inquisitors on our 
pharmaceutical brethren, though in one or two instances, where we have 
nothing but good to say, we may, without offence, break this rule. 
Tincture yields, on evaporation, crystals of almost the whole of the opium 
principles, and we find that, as the spirit volatilizes, the resin is also precipi¬ 
tated in an insoluble form. Our own preparation, from different samples of 
good opium, is tolerably constant (Plate II. fig. 1 a and b), and agrees in ap¬ 
pearance with a specimen procured from a manufacturing house of some 
standing (Plate II. fig. 3); but neither are quite so rich in crystalline prin¬ 
ciples as a sample furnished to us by our friend Mr. Morson (Plate II. fig. 2), 
which seems to have been prepared from peculiarly fine opium. 
Extract shows a much smaller proportion of narcotine crystals, with 
abundance of morphia salts and tufts of narceine (Plate II. fig. 4). Turkey 
opium is not rich in codeine, and we suppose that in extract prepared from it 
this principle is retained diffused through the bitter matter. A specimen of 
commercial extract of opium which we have seen, recently imported from the 
East, is a very different substance, showing fewer morphine crystals, but a 
large proportion of codeine (Plate II. fig. 5). 
Wine .—The mucilaginous matter of wine very much retards, if it does not 
entirely prevent, the formation of crystals upon evaporation, and consequently 
we can say but little respecting the appearance presented by the extract ob¬ 
tained from vinous solutions. 
Liquor Opii Sedativus .—The striking appearance resulting from the eva¬ 
poration of Battley’s Sedative (Plate III. fig. I) first drew our attention to 
the mode of investigation now described. We have examined it frequently, 
and always have met with the same characters. The slides present an almost 
opaque mass of crystals of morphine salts and codeine, with a very small pro¬ 
portion of narcotine (and meconic acid ?), and, so far as we have observed, 
