Opium. 253 
coal oil by mixing it with lime water, filtering and evapo- 
rating to the consistence of a syrup. Muriatic acid separates 
impure carbolic acid from this mass, which is impure carbo- 
late of lime. 
(To be continued.) 
ART. LII. — CULTIVATION OF THE POPPY AND MODE OF 
PREPARING OPIUM. 
Mr. C. Texier, who is at present exploring Asia Minor, 
has transmitted from Constantinople to the Academy of 
Sciences of Paris, the following details respecting the cultiva- 
tion of the poppy and the preparation of opium. 
The seeds are sold at Kara-Hissar by measure of 60 ocques 
at 20 paras, the ocque, that is 30 piastres, (or about a dollar 
and a half.) The ocque of Constantinople is equal to about 
2f pounds. They begin to work the earth in December by 
means of a hoe, or sometimes with a plough. The furrows 
are sufficiently large to permit persons to pass without da- 
maging the stems of the poppies, which are planted in beds 
of three feet and a half wide. The seeds are sown broad cast 
but very thin. One ocque is sufficient to sow 1600 square 
metres. A few days after the flowers have fallen, the heads 
are slit horizontally, taking care that the cut does not pene- 
trate to the interior. A white milky juice exudes, which is 
left for twenty-four hours, and then scraped off with large, 
dull knives. Each head furnishes but a few grains of opium. 
The drug is sophisticated by portions of the epidermis being 
mixed with it, thus increasing the weight about a twelfth. 
The opium is now in the form of a sticky granular jelly. It 
is placed in small earthen vessels and pounded, the operator 
spitting in it from time to time. When the peasants are asked 
why they do not use water instead of saliva, they reply that 
water would injure it. The opium is then wrapped in dry 
leaves, and is fit for sale. The seed is not injured by cutting 
the heads. 
