ON THE ADULTERATION OF OPIUM. 
329 
A given quantity of opium (two pounds) is to be divided 
as minutely as possible, and then infused, four times succes- 
sively, in four pounds of water; the infusion having been fil- 
trated separately are to be reduced, by evaporation, to the 
form of extracts; the latter are then to be dissolved, each in a 
pound of cold water, and the insoluble residua are to be tritu- 
rated in water until the fluid remains colorless. The whole 
of the liquids are now to be collected together and submitted 
to evaporation, until they mark 10° by the areometer; in this 
state they are to be precipitated by ammonia, and allowed to 
become cool. When the fluid is completely cold, the preci- 
pitate is placed on a filter, and washed with cold water, until 
the latter passes off colorless. The precipitate is then again 
washed with alcohol, atl8°, which removes the coloring mat- 
ter. The solid product is now dried and treated with boiling 
alcohol, at 36°, a small quantity of animal charcoal being ad- 
ded; the dissolved matter is now filtered; one half is separated 
by distillation, and the remainder placed in a glass vessel, and 
allowed to crystallize. The crystals of morphine are then 
separated. As some of the crystals of morphine contain a 
resinous matter they must be washed with strong, cold alco- 
hol, to separate the latter substance; they are then thrown 
upon a filter, allowed to dry, and weighed. 
The alcohol, which has been employed for the purpose of 
washing, also contains some morphine; to obtain this, the al- 
cohol is submitted to distillation; the extractive residue is 
treated with water, acidulated with hydrochloric acid, a small 
quantity of animal charcoal being added; the matter is then 
filtered, and precipitated by ammonia; the precipitate is 
now treated in the same manner as that obtained by evapora- 
tion. 
The ammoniated waters also contain some morphine. To 
obtain the latter, they are submitted to a slow evaporation, 
until the extractive matter remains as dry as possible; this 
extract is then mixed with some animal black, and treated 
with boiling alcohol; the alcoholic solution is filtered, and the 
morphine obtained by evaporation. The presence of narco- 
