Miscellany. 
259 
neutralized ; 4th, of gum. 5th, of insoluble gum ; 6th, of a great pro- 
portion of starch ; 7th, of a small quantity of a resinous, aromatic sub- 
stance. 8th, vegetable fibre. 
Journ. de Pharm. 
New Opium. — M. Guibourt has described an opium from the East In- 
dies, sent him by Dr. Christison of Edinburgh. This opium is in flat 
black masses, about half an inch in thickness, and covered with a plate 
of mica. Dr. Christison stated that he had obtained nine and a half per 
cent of muriate of morphine from this opium, and thence concludes that 
it may be considered in some respects equal to the Smyrna, which fur- 
nishes ten per cent, of the same salt. Ibid. 
Codeine. — M. Winckler has prepared codeine in the following manner : 
He treats opium with cold water, adds a solution of ammonia to precipi- 
tate the morphine, then chloride of calcium to precipitate the meconic 
acid. He afterwards separates the colouring matter by sub-acetate of 
lead ; decomposes the excess of the metallic salt by sulphuric acid ; adds 
caustic potash to the filtered liquid, exposes the mixture to the air, that any 
excess of this alkali may become a carbonate ; then agitates the solution 
with ether, and after the spontaneous evaporation of the ethereal solution, 
he obtains the codeine in a yellowish transparent mass, which on the ad- 
dition of hydrochloric acid affords fine crystals. 
Journ. de Pharm. 
False Guaiacum wood. — Under the name of false or female guaiacum, 
logs of a very compact, brown wood with a white heart, have been im- 
ported into France. This wood when split is sometimes yellow with 
brown or violet veins, or greenish with brown undulations of different 
shades. It is susceptible of a fine polish, which appears greasy; it has 
neither the taste, smell, or other properties of the true guaiacum. It is 
principally imported from St. Jago de Cuba, for cabinet work. 
This is the green or yellow ebony of the Antilles. It appears that this 
wood is furnished by two different varieties of the Bignonia leucoxylon, 
and should not be confounded with the false guaiacum of Africa which is 
furnished by a species of Schotia, and has sudorific qualities. 
Ibid. 
Vienna caustic. — The slow action of caustic potash when used as a 
cautery, and the accidents that sometimes arise when it liquifies too ra- 
pidly, have determined many practitioners to make use of a new caustic, 
known under the name of Vienna powder. This is made as follows : 
R. Caustic potash 5 parts. 
Powdered Quicklime 6 parts. 
