ON INDIA OPIUM. 
139 
or districts. The jars contain from twenty seers to one maund 
and it is no uncommon event to have five hundred of these 
paraded in the morning for the inspection of the Opium Agent 
and his assistants. The first examination and the resulting 
classification is extremely simple. The examiners thrust a 
slit bambu into the contents of the jar, and judge from experi- 
ence of the state of consistence, flavor, and color of the speci- 
men. Marks are chalked on the jar according to the degree 
of each of these qualities from 1.1.1. to 4.4.4. inclusive. 
Opium of the first class is of a fine chestnut color, aromatic 
smell, and dense consistence. It is moderately ductile, and, 
when the mass is torn, breaks with deeply notched fracture, 
with sharp needle-like fibres, translucent and ruby-red at the 
edges. It is readily broken down under distilled water, and 
the solution at first filters of a fine sherry color, which, how- 
ever, rapidly darkens. 100 grains of this opium will yield to 
cold distilled water an extract of from 35 to 45. The extract 
is a deep brown color, and very rapidly attracts moisture from 
the air. If 100 grains of this opium be evaporated at 212°, it 
loses from 20 to 28 per cent, of water, giving a consistence of 
from 80 to 72, the standard of the factory. 
The second class of opium is of darker color, less agreea- 
ble, small, softer texture, and often shows black specks and 
globules of pasewd on its surface and on its texture. It draws 
out to greater length, but breaks with a more even fracture. 
Its consistence ranges from 65 to 70° and it yields an extract 
averaging from 27 to 35 per cent. 
The third class is black, pasty, of very heavy smell, drops 
from the examining rod, gives off from 40 to 50 per cent, of 
moisture on evaporation, but, owing to the great quantity of 
pasewd it contains, often gives a far greater per centage of ex- 
tract than either of the two preceding classes. The extract is 
very dark, and deliquesces rapidly. 
The last class comprises all that is too bad to be used in the 
manufacture of the balls. It is of all colors, from deep black to 
bright brown, and of all degrees of consistence, from fluidity 
to a solid texture. 
