EDITORIAL. 
185 
apply  only  to  what  is  known  as  Rio  Ipecac,  or  Ipecac,  from  Bio  Janeiro. 
The  inferior  Carthagena  Ipecac  has  been  generally  quoted  at  $2.40 
to  2.62. 
Jalap.  This  drug  has  also  been  sold  at  enormous  prices  throughout 
the  year.  From  90  c.  per  pound,  it  had  by  November,  1862,  reached 
$2.00,  and  is  now  not  to  be  had  of  fair  average  quality,  short  of  $1.90. 
Although  scarce,  and  not  in  large  supply,  there  has  been  no  time  when 
good  parcels  could  not  be  had  at  the  prices  asked ;  for,  as  is  often  the 
case,  when  prices  are  very  high,  the  highest  grades  are  of  slowest  sale, 
and  rarely  wanted.  The  Jalap  of  the  last  two  years  appears  to  contain 
more  very  small  fusiform  tubers,  (not  false  or  fusiform  Jalap,)  and  more 
very  large  ones,  so  that  it  is  less  uniform  or  has  the  uniform  portions 
selected  for  better  markets. 
Opium.  The  market  for  this  drug  has  not  been  behind  that  of  any 
other  in  the  number  and  suddenness  of  its  fluctuations.  Always  a  favorite 
drug  for  speculation  and  investment,  and  like  sulphate  of  quinia  and 
camphor,  always  liable  to  run  out  into  channels  of  speculation,  among 
persons  who  have  no  knowledge  of  the  article  or  the  market,  it  easily 
becomes  a  leading  bubble,  to  be  inflated  or  compressed  by  each  steamer's 
news  of  short  crop,  diminished  stock,  vigor  of  demand,  difficulties  of  ex- 
change, etc.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  Smyrna  Opium,  of  fair 
quality,  is  the  only  kind  which  reaches  this  market,  and  the  stock  in 
Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia,  is  usually  said  to  average  200 
cases.  Since  the  indiscriminate  sale  of  prize  goods  from  captured  ves- 
sels, by  the  Government,  however,  all  sorts  of  opium  are  to  be  found, 
and  even  without  any  attempt  at  very  close  buying,  it  is  difficult  to  avoid 
this  "  prize  opium,"  as  it  is  technically  called.  The  price  of  strictly  prime 
Smyrna  opium  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  (Sept.,  1862,)  was  about 
$7.25  per  pound.  From  this  it  arose  with  numerous  fluctuations  until 
March,  when  it  reached  $11.00,  and  from  that  point  declined  to  the  pre- 
sent time,  when  it  is  sold  at  $8.75,  or  thereabout,  but  has  been  as  low  as 
$8.10.  Thirteen  cases  purchased  with  fair  average  distribution  through- 
out the  year,  cost  an  average  of  $8.50,  the  lowest  price  paid  being  $7.31, 
and  the  highest,  $11.00.  This  average  is,  however,  by  chance  bdow  that 
of  the  general  market  for  the  year." 
To  give  an  idea  of  the  quality  of  leading  pharmaceutical  preparations,  the 
Chairman  obtained  samples  of  six  kinds  from  each  of  four  of  the  principal 
cities  of  the  Atlantic  States,  and  subjected  them  to  assay.  These  were 
Ether,  Ether  Fortior,  Chloroform,  Sweet  Spt.  Nitre,  Hoffman's  Anodyue 
and  Laudanum,  we  quote  in  reference  to  two  of  them  as  follows  : — 
"Sweet  Spirit  of  Nitre.  The  Spiritus  iEtheris  Nitrici  of  the  old  Phar- 
macopoeia, and  Spiritus  JEtheris  Nitrosi  of  the  new. 
Eleven  specimens  of  this  preparation,  probably  representing  the  entire 
supply  of  the  market,  were  carefully  and  thoroughly  examined,  by  a  good 
process  of  assay,  for  the  proportion  of  nitrous  ether  contained  in  them. 
The  officinal  preparation  is  a  solution  of  nitrous  ether  in  alcohol,  and  the 
solution  contains  5  per  cent,  by  volume  of  the  nitrous  ether,  this  being 
the  medicinal  agent,  whilst  the  alcohol  is  added  merely  to  dilute  and  pre- 
serve the  ether.  The  s.  g.  of  the  officinal  spirit  is  '837  when  freshly 
made,  but  increasing  a  little  by  age.  The  specific  gravities  of  the  speci- 
mens were  '893,  -906,  -876,  -898,  '934,  -852,  -847,  -852,  -858,  -848,  and  -850. 
Not  one  of  them  being  any  where  near  the  standard. 
They  severally  contained  the  following  percentage  by  volume  of  nitrous 
