ON  AMERICAN  OPIUM. 
53 
posed  to  be  taken  up  ;  this  etherial  solution,  exposed  for  evapora- 
tion, yielded  what  appeared  to  be  a  fair  proportion  of  narcotina 
in  handsome  crystals  associated  with  resinous  matter. 
In  a  subsequent  treatment,  to  separate  the  narcotina  from  this 
resinous  matter,  an  unfortunate  accident  occurred  to  the  vessel 
containing  it  which  occasioned  the  loss  of  all.  The  proportion, 
therefore,  of  narcotina  contained  in  this  portion  was  not  deter- 
mined and  consequently  not  so  accurate  a  percentage  of  its  yield 
by  the  specimens  of  opium  was  arrived  at  as  would  be  desirable. 
After  the  exhaustion  by  ether,  the  opium  was  digested  in 
water  until  everything  soluble  in  this  menstruum  was  taken  up. 
The  aqueous  solution  was  then  mixed,  as  in  the  previous  case, 
first  with  alcohol  and  then  with  ammonia,  and  put  aside  for  the 
proper  length  of  time  that  crystals  of  morphia  might  form,  which, 
upon  being  removed,  weighed  5  J  grains,  or  very  nearly  four  per 
cent.  If  we  make  allowance  for  some  loss  sustained  in  manipu- 
lation, first  of  the  opium  itself,  and  then  of  the  morphia,  we  may 
conclude  that  the  yield  in  this  case  was  four  per  cent,  of  morphia. 
The  morphia  in  both  cases  was  comparatively  light  colored  and  the 
crystals  of  narcotina  were  very  beautiful  and  still  lighter  colored. 
I  did  not  attempt  the  purification  of  either,  owing  to  the  small- 
ness  of  the  qu  mtity  obtained.  As  before  observed,  I  would  have 
been  glad  if  my  supply  of  material  had  enabled  me  to  ascertain 
comparative  morphiometrical  and  other  results,  by  treatment  with 
cold  and  hot  water,  acidulous  and  alcoholic  menstrua. 
From  these  experiments  it  would  appear,  then,  that  the  speci- 
men of  Virginia  opium  exhibited  to  the  Association  contained 
four  per  cent,  of  morphia  and  3*5  per  cent,  (approximately)  of 
narcotina. 
It  becomes  a  matter  of  interesting  inquiry  to  ascertain  how  far 
the  results,  in  the  production  of  this  opium,  would  be  modified 
by  a  particular  mode  of  culture,  and  the  character  of  soil  and 
season,  as  it  is  altogether  probable  that  its  morphia-yielding 
quality  is  in  a  great  measure  dependent  upon  a  combination  of 
these  circumstances. — JProc.  Amer.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  1866. 
