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ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
ART. XXVIII.— BLACK DROP. By Charles Ellis. 
Notwithstanding the discovery of morphia, and its ge- 
neral introduction into use, there are some Physicians who 
prefer the old fashioned preparation of opium, called Black 
Drop. 
It becomes important, therefore, to have an article of uni- 
form strength; and that the directions for its preparation 
should be more in accordance with the modern improvements 
in pharmacy, than are those which accompany the original 
recipe. In fact, it could hardly be expected from an adhe- 
rence to those directions, indefinite and vague as they are, 
that any certainty in the preparation would be the result. 
Most of our readers, we presume, are familiar with the old 
formula, which, with some slight alteration, was published in 
the first edition of the United States Pharmacopoeia. The 
substitutes which have been offered for Black Drop, with the 
advantage of greater certainty in strength, are the Acetum Opii 
of the Dublin, and the Tinctura Opii Acetata of the present edi- 
tion of the United States Pharmacopoeia. But in neither of 
them are the wishes of those who are partial to this prepara- 
tion met, as they do not produce the rich acetous syrup of 
opium which was the product of the original prescription. 
The following directions, it is believed, will enable the 
Apothecary to preserve the formula in all its essential features, 
and to prepare Black Drop without waste of material, and of 
uniform strength. 
J$. — Best Turkey Opium, gviij. 
White Wine Vinegar, Oiij. 
Saffron, gss. 
Powdered Nutmegs, giss. 
Sugar, H lb. 
Rub down the opium with the vinegar, previously made hot; 
add the saffron, nutmegs, (and if entire conformity with the 
original be deemed necessary,) §j, of yeast; digest them with 
