958 
P A P A V E R. 
and will recover from the effeCts of a Wound ; but, if the 
poppies are accidentally touched, they will either exhaull 
themfelves by bleeding, or dwindle fo as to be of no 
value. But it is high time to proceed to the laft point' I 
propofed to confider ; namely, the production and pre¬ 
paration of opium. 
In ordinary feafons, the heads or capfules of the au¬ 
tumnal poppies will be large enough for our purpofe in 
the month of June ; for at this time they will have at¬ 
tained about half their growth, or be equal in fize to a 
fmall tea-cup. I have invented a variety of inftrurnents 
as fcarificators; but, as only two kinds were actually ufed, 
I am unwilling to trouble the Society with a defcription 
of any other. 
The firft of thefe inftrurnents confifts of two thin fteel 
blades fixed by a wedge in a wooden handle, fo as to make 
incifions about,one-fourth of an inch from each other. 
The other is made entirely of fteel, and refembles in form 
the tuning-fork of a harpfichord. It confifts of four bars, 
proceeding from a handle of a convenient length, a quar¬ 
ter of an inch wide, and two and a half long, each ter¬ 
minating with a bolder, through which a fcrew pafies 
that fixes the fcarificators. The centre bars fliould be fo 
daftic as to yield to the curvature of the capfule, upon 
the outer Ones being preffed by the finger and thumb ; 
and by this means four incifions are made at once, at 
equal diftances. This inftrument is an inch and three 
quarters in width ; but from the two outer blades, only 
an inch and a quarter. The bolfters are a quarter of an 
inch in diameter, and the fcarificators a proportionate 
length, namely, three-eighths. The wedge in the former, 
and a longitudinal aperture in the fcarificators, or blades, 
of the latter, will regulate the depth of the incifions, at 
the will of the operator. It is of the utmoft importance 
that thefe fliould not be made through the inner coat of 
the capfules. 
Seven boys w'ere employed, from eight to twelve years 
of age, together with a man as a fuperintendent. To the 
youngeft I gave three-pence per day; and to the reft, if 
traCtable and well-difpofed, an additional penny for every 
additional year. The fteel inftrument was ufed by the 
latter, and the others by the former. I have great reafon 
to be fatisfied with their conftruCtion ; for, notwithftand- 
ing their fimplicity, they proved themfelves fully equal to 
my purpofe; and fo confiderable a trial has not fuggefted 
any other improvement, than that in the largeft the two 
inner bars only thould be elaftic ; for the continual pref- 
fure of the finger and thumb on the two outer ones, 
which is abfolutely neceflary for the others to aCt, would 
be avoided, and confequently much fatigue and incon¬ 
venience prevented. It is of very little confequence 
whether the firlt incifions are made horizontally or ver¬ 
tically with this inftrument; for, however luxuriantly the 
milk may flow, by making four at one time, it fo divides 
•the ftream, that feldom any efcapes. With the fmaller 
ones we moft commonly made them horizontally, begin¬ 
ning as near the top of the head as poftibie, and for this 
reafon—all the juices, if the firft incifion was made at the 
bottom, would be naturally attracted by the aperture, 
and render every other completely fruitlefs, belides oc- 
cafioning the lofs of a confiderable quantity by falling on 
the furrounding leaves; Whereas, on the other hand, a 
proportion of milk will exude from each, and the opium 
be equally diftributed over the whole fur face of the head. 
No particular directions feem neceflary for repeating this 
operation, any farther than that each time it (hould be 
performed in a contrary direction, and continued, till no 
more will exude, at intervals of four or five days, or more, 
according to circumftances: for, as the weather proves 
•rainy or fair, they will be ftiorter or longer, the heads 
being fooner repleniflied in the one than the other. 
Each of the children being provided with a tin cilp, 
having one handle, fo contrived as to fix itfelf to a girdle 
fattened round it is waift, with a common gardening-knife 
they fcraped oft' the opium that appeared upon the heads 
i 
in a foft aflt-coloured fubftance. Dewy mornings are beft 
calculated for this purpofe, and it ftiould be dilcontinued 
as foon as the fun has gained a fufficient power to diftipate 
it; for, if perfevered in throughout the day, fome of the 
opium will recede into the interftices, and more, in de¬ 
fiance of every endeavour, will remain upon the heads. 
The principal quantity exudes in the courfe of the night, 
and, uniting with the dew, it is taken off as readily and 
completely as with a fponge. 
The interval from breakfaft-time to funfet, if the wea¬ 
ther affumed a fettled appearance, was occupied by lcarify- 
ing. And, upon the whole, confidering it was the firft; 
attempt of the kind, every thing proceeded very regu¬ 
larly; and, had the futurner been propitious, notwith- 
ftanding my former difappointments, I fhould have had 
great caufe for fatisfaCtion. The largeft quantity that 
my man, feven children, and myfelf, were able to procure 
in one morning, from five to nine o’clock, was one pound 
and a half: this happened when the dew was remarkably 
great, and fucceeded one of the warmeft days in the 
fu miner. 
From the experience I have had, the precarioufnefs of 
our climate appears to me the only obftacle to the pro¬ 
duction of opium in this kingdom. The evil produced 
by a fudden alteration of weather is irreparable ; for, 
fliould it happen after a fine fcarifying day, we not 
only lofe the labour of that day, but all its produce. It 
becomes obvioufly neceflary, therefore, to be particularly 
circumfpeCt; the poppies will receive no damage from re¬ 
maining entire; while, on the other hand, impatience 
may be injurious, if not deftruCtive. 
The opium, when firft collected, from its union with 
the dew is much too foft to be fo formed as the Society 
will receive it. To reduce it to a proper confidence, 
taking Nature forourguide, it fliould be thinly lpread in 
fliallovv difnes, and expofed, under glades, to the rays of 
the fun. My opinion is, that Turkey opium fuffers con- 
fiderably from the operation of fire; certain it is, that 
with refpect toils effluvia, it undergoes a complete altera¬ 
tion. I have covered it with its own leaves, thinking this 
a very convenient mode of package, and conceiving it to 
be important, in every new undertaking, by ftudying 
appearances, to yield to the general prejudices which 
naturally prevail in favour of the article to which wq 
have been accuftomed. 
The following teftimony of the quality of the opium is 
extracted from a letter from Dr. Woodville to Mr. Jones. 
“ I have examined the opium collected by you from the 
capfules of the white poppy; and I have no doubt, from 
its tafte, fmeli, colour, and purity, but that it is more 
powerful and efficacious than the bell foreign opium im¬ 
ported into this country. The late Dr. Alfton, when 
profelfor of botany and materia medica in the univeriity 
of Edinburgh, informed the public, more than fixty years 
ago, (fee Med. Eflays, vol. v.) that the milky juice, drawn 
by him from the heads,of the white poppy, foon acquired 
the confidence of opium, when its tafte, fmeli, faculties, 
&c. were the fame as thofe of that drug. In the year 
1791 I convinced myfelf of the truth of his afiertion, by 
repeating his experiments, which I noticed the.following 
year in my Medical Botany. Soon after this time I ap¬ 
propriated a part of the garden at the Small-Pox Hofpital 
for the growth of the Papaverfomniferum, from the green 
capfules of which were collected between two and three 
ounces of opium, which was found to be more efficacious 
than that of the exotic, as appeared upon trials of it made 
by 1 'everal of my medical friends. But the great trouble 
and length of time required for the collection of the juice 
induced me at the time to think, that the manufacture 
of this valuable medicine in England did not hold 
forth any profpeCt of commercial advantage. However, 
fince I have feen the great quantity of it collected under 
your direction, I fincerely hope that the above opinion 
will prove to be unfounded; and congratulate you on 
your fuccefs.” 
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