On the Preparations of Opium. 127 
14. Patty matter having acid properties of Pelletier. 
15. Ligneous fibre. 
The most generally used of the preparations of opium, are: 
The powder; the alcoholic tincture; the liquid laudanum 
of Sydenham; the liquid laudanum of Rousseau; the dis- 
tilled water; the extracts; and finally, the syrup. 
The Powder. It is evident that this preparation must con- 
tain all the principles of opium in their natural state : it is true 
the volatile principle will be in the greatest proportion, when 
the powder is recently prepared, is kept in a well closed ves- 
sel, and is made from opium dried at a very low temperature. 
These conditions should always be borne in mind, when the 
powder is prepared, as this powder should represent opium 
itself. 
Alcoholic Tincture. The alcoholic tincture of the codex 
prepared with the aqueous extract to be hereafter spoken of, 
should contain all the constituent principles of this extract 
which are soluble in alcohol at 22°. I say all, for a well pre- 
pared extract dissolves without residue in alcohol of the above 
strength. The results will not always be identical, if the al- 
cohol employed, as is ordered by certain foreign pharmaco- 
poeias, is of different degrees of strength. In such case, 
some principles soluble in alcohol at 22°, might not be taken 
up, at least in part. This would be the case, principally with 
the gummy matter, and the sulphates of lime and potash, 
which would be left undissolved if the alcohol were very 
much concentrated, on the contrary the resinous, the acid fatty 
and the volatile matters, and even the narcotine will not be 
taken up if the vehicle be very weak. 
Alcohol not appearing to exercise any reaction on the prin- 
ciples of opium, and the extract of this drug, being completely 
soluble in alcohol at 22°; it is evident that the preparation 
under consideration must consist of a simple aqueo-alcoholic 
solution of all the principles contained in this same extract. 
Laudanum of Sydenham. In the preparation of the lauda- 
num of Sydenham, a product of the maceration of opium, 
cloves, cinnamon and saffron in Malaga wine, this fluid dis- 
solves allthe principles that are soluble in weak alcohol ; and 
