AmAp0rUnr;iP95Lrm'}     Opium  from  the  Commercial  Standpoint.  157 
countries  in  the  East  and  differs  largely  in  its  appearance,  odor  and 
strength  according  to  the  country  or  district  in  which  it  is  produced, 
both  on  account  of  natural  causes  and  differences  in  the  methods  of 
handling.  The  names  applied  to  opium  in  this  way  are  almost 
innumerable  and  many  appearing  on  brokers'  lists  have  become  so 
garbled  as  to  be  scarcely  recognizable.  In  practically  all  cases, 
however,  they  may  be  traced  to  tne  villages  or  towns  from  which 
that  particular  variety  hails,  and  by  consulting  the  map  all  may  be 
gathered  under  one  or  another  of  the  main  geographical  groups. 
When  once  so  gathered  they  are  often  again  arranged  according  to 
their  quality  as  determined  by  their  appearance  and  assay.  Under 
the  main  divisions  we  have  Turkey  opium,  including  the  opium  of 
Asia  Minor  and  European  Turkey,  Persian  opium,  East  India  opium, 
Egyptian  opium,  and  Chinese  opium.  Occasionally  we  hear  of 
opiums  produced  in  small  quantities  in  other  countries  that  have 
little  or  no  commercial  importance  ;  Bulgarian,  Zambesi  or  Mozam- 
bique are  types  of  such  opiums.  As  Turkey  opium  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  in  the  United  States  we  will  consider  this  first, 
TURKEY  OPIUM. 
The  opium  produced  in  Turkey  is  the  most  important  commerci- 
ally, and  is  beyond  all  comparison  the  most  widely  known  in  the 
markets  of  the  world.  This  opium  is  the  kind  generally  understood 
as  meant  when  opium  for  use  in  medicine  is  mentioned,  and  any 
other  kind  should  be  used  only  after  careful  consideration.  In  fact 
many  pharmacopoeias  recognize  only  that  opium  collected  in  Asia 
Minor.  Turkey  opium  is  marketed  through  three  important  ports, 
Smyrna,  Constantinople,  and  Salonica.  Of  these  three  great  markets, 
Smyrna  is  most  important  and  is  said  to  handle  five-eighths  of  the 
total  output,  and  to  fix  the  price  for  all  the  markets  of  Turkey. 
The  principal  commercial  varieties  are  as  follows : — 
Boghaditz,  derived  from  the  district  of  that  name,  lying  north  of 
Smyrna,  between  that  place  and  Constantinople.  It  is  the  richest 
opium  obtainable  in  Asia  Minor,  so  far  as  the  morphine  content  is 
concerned.  It  is  expensive  and  seldom  shipped  to  America.  It  is 
very  gummy  and  on  that  account  the  morphine  is  difficult  to 
extract  in  assaying. 
Yerli.  This  name  when  translated  means  "  surrounding  "  and  is 
used  to  indicate  all   that  opium   from  the   districts  surrounding 
