162 
ON OPIUM, SCAMMONY AND OIL OF ROSES. 
difference of the qualities would be best perceived by a collection 
of samples, which we should be glad to send you, if you would 
tell us where to direct them. The price of the aforementioned 
prime quality, which we call " Gueve," from the district which 
chiefly produces it is, now 10|c. for the English pound, free on 
board. The current second quality, 10 Jc. The price of the adulte- 
rated is much lower, in proportion to amount of the adulteration ; 
which, however, in most cases, is not discernible by the exterior. 
The prices are, of course, principally regulated by the Chinese 
market ; yet the more or less considerable crop produced is not 
without influence. So especially now, the growers show little in- 
clination to sell, as the new plantations are endangered by a con- 
tinual want of rain. Nevertheless, probably after two months, 
when the new crop begins to come to market, we may be able to 
buy cheaper than now, if the news from China should not cause 
the price to rise. 
As regards scammony, almost everything that has been said re- 
specting opium is literally applicable. The difference in quality 
depends upon the way of preparing it, while the plant from which 
it is taken is always the same. The best sort is the pure dried 
juice, which spontaneously flows from the incisions made in the 
root of the plant ; the next quality is produced by a strong pres- 
sure of the root. These two qualities go in commerce by the name 
of the 1st and 2d scammony d'Aleppo, which name, however, is 
wrong, as Aleppo produces the 1st quality, but only in a very small 
quantity, whilst the greater part comes from several districts of 
Asia Minor. Then follows the so called quality of Skilip, a dis- 
trict that produces much, but where they have the bad habit of try- 
ing to gain in the weight, by adulterating the pure substance. 
The adulteration is made in several ways ; the least injurious of 
which perhaps is, that they add (as in opium), the pressed or boil- 
ed out juice of the whole plant ; the not inconsiderable quantities 
of this sort, which are yearly brought from the interior, find a good 
sale in Europe, which would hardly last, if a sufficient quantity of 
the before mentioned finer qualities were to be had. Besides 
these, a number of other sorts are sold in Europe, under the name 
Smyrna scammony, which consist of a hard and heavy mass, but 
contain only a very small part of the real scammony. 
With this article it would also be necessary, as w r e said with 
