SOCIETY MEETINGS. 
•^09 
ture of opium made from East Indian gnm opium would contain 
just one-third the active properties of that made from the 
Smyrna opium, or, in other words, one ounce of landaniim made 
from Smyrna opium is equal to the three ounces of laudanum 
made from East Indian opium. Enormous quantities of this 
inferior opium is brought to this market, and I have no doubt 
a great proportion of it is used in the manufacture of the tinc¬ 
ture, and sold to veterinarians. I say sold to veterinarians, 
because the druggist, as a rule, would consider it good enough 
for a horse, when he would not dare to use it in compounding 
the prescription of the family physician. 
I manufacture all the tincture of opium that I use in my 
practice, and am very careful in selecting the best Smyrna 
opium for that purpose. I can make tincture of opium accord¬ 
ing to the Edinburgh Pharmacopoeia in twenty-six hours. The 
formula is as follows : Take of opium dried, six ounces ; recti¬ 
fied spirit, 40 ounces; water, 40 ounces. Digest the opium in 
the water near a boiling temperature for two hours, break down 
with the hand, strain and express ; macerate the residue in the 
rectified spirit for twenty-four hours, then strain and express 
strongly; mix the watery and spirituous infusions and filter, 
when it is ready for use. The tincture thus made is as it ought 
to be, and can be depended upon. Be sure that you get the 
Smyrna gum opium. I have here a very good specimen of the 
drug. One of the peculiarities of Smyrna gum opium is that 
when you break it open, you find tears or what looks like small 
globes of water in its substance. I would also recommend that 
you make all the Majendi’s solution that you use. It should 
contain sixteen grains of the alkaloid to the ounce of water. If 
you make the solution yourself, you know whether or not it is 
the proper strength, and can depend upon it. 
Aconite is a drug that I have used extensively in my prac¬ 
tice, and continue to use it in all acute cases of high temper¬ 
ature. I mean the tincture of aconite root. I used to buy the 
tincture from the wholesale druggist, and would often find its 
color of a lighter or darker shade. I would also find it to vary 
a great deal in its action. I have found it to be entirely use¬ 
less ; in fact, devoid of the active properties of aconite. As the 
drug is one that so much depends on its action, even life itself, 
in many cases, I made up my mind to prepare the tincture my¬ 
self, which I have done for many years, and can always depend 
upon its action. I would strongly advise all veterinarians to do 
the same. The process of preparing the tincture is a simple 
