A\t™i,  mT' }  Notes  on  Some  North  American  Drgs.  105 
The  plant  is  procumbent  and  widely  spreading,  with  its  stems 
branching  to  the  length  of  from  12  to  18  inches.  It  is  covered  with 
spreading  whitish  hairs,  the  leaves  are  narrowed  at  the  base  into  a 
short  petiole,  broadly  lanceolate  in  outline,  deeply  cut-toothed,  or  the 
lower  pinnatifid  and  the  teeth  rather  acute.  The  small  blue  or  pur- 
plish flowers  are  collected  in  dense  spikes  terminating  the  branches,, 
the  numerous  bracts  being  longer  than  the  flowers,  lance-linear  in 
shape  or  the  lower  deeply  three-cleft.  Its  hoariness  and  its  dense 
long  bracted  and  squarrous  spikes  are  quite  characteristic  for  this 
species,  which  possesses  a  gradually  developed  but  lasting  bitterness. 
I  have  not  been  informed  of  the  strength  or  dose  in  which  the  in- 
fusion is  given.  The  plant  appears  to  merit  some  attention,  particu- 
larly with  the  view  of  isolating  the  bitter  principle  and  determining 
its  value  as  an  alterative. 
California  Opium. —  I  have  received  from  Mr.  J.  H.  Flint,  of 
Marysville,  Cal.,  a  handsome  specimen  of  opium,  in  regard  to  which 
the  following  information  was  given  : 
"  The  opium  was  raised  in  Sutter  county  on  the  Sacramento  River> 
about  fifteen  miles  from  this  city.  The  expense  attending  the  culti- 
vation of  poppy,  and  the  collection  of  opium,  does  not  warrant  the 
outlay  of  sufficient  capital  to  produce  large  quantities,  although  the 
soil  and  climate  are  admirably  adapted  to  that  purpose.  I  obtained 
7f  per  cent,  of  morphia  from  a  specimen  recently  collected.  It  yielded 
52  per  cent,  of  soluble  matter  to  boiling  water,  and  lost  17  per  cent, 
of  moisture  after  drying  at  212°  F.  What  I  have  used  seems  to  an- 
swer quite  as  well  as  the  imported  article." 
From  this  statement  it  appears  that  the  opium  was  assayed  in  its 
crude  undried  state ;  if  an  allowance  is  made  for  the  17  per  cent,  of 
moisture,  Mr.  Flint's  assay  would  give  (100—17) :  100  : :  7 -75  :  9-34 
per  cent,  morphia  in  dry  opium,  or  nearly  the  strength  of  opium  as 
directed  by  the  pharmacopoeia.  The  high  price  of  labor  in  California, 
it  may  be  supposed,  renders  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  solely  for 
the  production  of  opium,  unprofitable ;  but  the  seeds  contain  a  larg« 
percentage  of  a  bland  fixed  oil,  and  after  its  expression  are  valuable 
as  feed  for  cattle ;  poppy  culture  may,  therefore,  notwithstanding  the 
drawback  of  high  wages,  not  prove  unprofitable. 
The  opium  received  was  more  homogeneous  in  texture  than  Smyrna, 
opium,  of  a  good  strong  narcotic  odor,  and  unexceptionable  in  its. 
physical  properties. 
