230 
ON  SOME  PANAMA  DRUGS. 
extract  of  opium.  He  says  (Detroit  Journ.  Med.  and  Pharm., 
Jan.,  1869),  "I  prefer  Dr.  Pereira's  method  to  Dr.  Squibb's." 
Dr.  Pereira,  so  far  as  we  are  aware,  only  gives  several  processes 
of  others  ;  Dr.  Squibb  uses  that  of  the  U.  S.  P.  for  morphia. 
In  view  of  what  has  been  here  shown,  I  believe  it  will  be  much 
safer  to  abandon  his  plan  and  give  a  simple  morphiometrical 
standard,  which  should  be  ten  per  cent.,  as  easily  remembered 
and  as  representing  an  average  pure  Smyrna  opium,  throwing  in 
the  additional  influence  of  such  of  the  other  alkaloids  as  may  be 
retained. 
If  this  assay  is  at  all  correct,  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how 
one  grain  of  svapnia  should  be  equivalent  to  one-third  of  a  grain 
of  morphia,  as  in  this  instance  it  contained  less  than  one-twenti- 
eth of  a  grain.  It  is  true  this  is  a  single  specimen,  and  might 
by  accident  have  been  imperfect,  yet  it  was  an  original  package . 
duly  certified.  But  granting  that  svapnia  contains  9  per  cent, 
of  morphia  ;  there  is  then  only  one-eleventh  of  a  grain  in  a  grain 
'  of  svapnia,  which  Dr.  B.  says  is  equivalent  to  one-third  of  a  grain 
in  eff*ect.  To  what  agency  is  the  efi*ect  of  the  remaining  two  and 
a  half  elevenths  to  be  attributed  ? 
In  conclusion,  it  is  suggested  that  it  would  be  well  to  intro- 
duce into  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870  a  formula  for  a  titrated 
extract  of  opium  of  10  per  cent,  morphia  strength,  if  it  is  found 
possible  to  construct  a  practicable  and  reliable  process,  and  in 
view  of  such  an  object  the  best  simple  method  of  assaying  opium 
might  very  properly  form  a  subject  for  communication  to  the 
next  meeting  of  the  Association  by  several  observers. 
ON  SOME  PANAMA  DRUGS. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
I  stated  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  that  Mr.  P.  C.  Herbruger,  of  Panama,  had  sent 
several  drugs  in  use  in  that  country,  which  were  to  be  exhibited 
a4;  that  meeting,  but  did  not  arrive  in  time.  Having  received 
them  since,  I  herewith  furnish  a  description  of  the  same,  to- 
gether with  the  brief  notes  of  Mr.  Herbruger  and  the  details  of 
some  experiments  calculated  to  throw  some  light  on  their  be- 
