TITRATED  OPIUM  EXTRACT — SVAPNIA. 
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amount  of  valuable  narcotic  alkaloids,  and  may  seriously  impair 
the  uniformity  of  the  preparation. 
Dr.  Bigelow  gives  us  no  details  of  the  method  by  which  he 
claims  to  be  able  to  isolate  the  meconates  of  morphia,  narceia 
and  codeia  from  the  narcotina,  thebaina,  papaverina,  cryptopia 
and  other  bodies  of  an  alkaline  nature  in  opium,  yet  in  doing  it  he 
limits  himself  to  neutral  solvents.  In  the  particular  sample  of 
svapnia  examined  all  the  opium  extract  was  20  per  cent.  ;  of 
this  more  than  8  per  cent,  was  alkaloids ;  the  balance  bore  the 
characters  of  extractive  matter  of  opium  that  had  become  deep- 
ened in  color  by  heat  and  air,  as  in  ordinary  extract  of  opium. 
The  inference,  therefore,  is  that  by  a  series  of  solutions  and 
evaporations  with  water  and  alcohol,  as  in  Dr.  Squibb's  process 
for  Liquor  Opii  compo situs,  a  large  percentage  of  the  inert  or 
objectionable  matter  is  removed,  and  possibly  ether  (or  benzine, 
as  recommended  by  Mr.  Ebert,)  may  be  called  in  to  aid  and 
thus  reduce  the  fifty  per  cent,  of  soluble  matter  of  opium  to  20 
per  cent.  But  the  gross  amount  of  alkaloids  in  good  Turkey 
opium  is  more  than  9  per  cent.,  and  to  the  extent  that  it  is 
more,  of  course  the  proportion  of  this  final  extract  in  svapnia 
will  be  reduced.  For  instance,  it  is  known  that  opium  not  un- 
frequently  contains  12  and  14  per  cent,  of  morphia,  besides  other 
alkaloids,  and  even  as  high  as  20  per  cent,  has  been  found  in 
rare  instances.  The  proportion  quoted  by  Gmelin,  (Handbuch, 
xvi,  414),  is  11-7  to  21-46  per  cent,  for  true  and  pure  Anatolia 
opium.  Merck  found  13*5  pr.  ct.  in  fresh  Smyrna  opium.  Dried 
French  opium  averaged,  according  to  Guibourt,  17'7  per  cent,  of 
morphia,  and  the  highest  22*9  per  cent. 
Gmelin  gives  the  proportion  of  codeia  as  0*73  per  cent.  (Mul- 
der) ;  0-25  per. cent.  (Schindler) ;  0*25  per  cent.,  (Merck). 
The  percentage  of  narcotina  in  Smyrna  opium  varies  from  2  or 
3  to  6  per  cent.,  but  is  generally  in  larger  proportion  to  the 
morphia  in  the  India  varieties.  Of  narceia  our  information  is 
less  complete,  as  well  in  regard  to  its  identity  and  proportion  as 
to  its  physiological  and  therapeutic  characters.  The  extraordi- 
nary power  attributed  to  the  small  portion  of  these  alkaloids  in 
svapnia  needs  confirmation. 
Dr.  Bigelow  does  not  give  his  manner  of  assaying  the  purified 
