PREPARATION  OF  DEODORIZED  TINCTURE  OF  OPIUM.  195 
ounces ;  Benzine,  sp.  gr.  '700  to  '730,  (or  of  such  purity  that, 
when  dropped  on  white  paper,  and  allowed  to  evaporate  spon- 
taneously, leaves  no  stain  ;)  Alcohol,  each  half  a  pint ;  water  a 
sufficient  quantity.  Macerate  the  opium  with  half  a  pint  of  water 
for  24  hours,  and  express ;  then  repeat  the  operation  twice  with 
the  same  quantity  of  water ;  mix  the  expressed  liquids,  and, 
having  evaporated  the  mixture  to  four  fluidounces,  shake  it, 
when  cold,  in  a  bottle,  repeatedly,  with  the  benzine ;  allow  it  to 
stand  for  about  eight  hours,  and  separate ;  then  pour  the  mix- 
ture on  a  paper  filter,  previously  moistened  with  water.  When 
all  of  the  watery  solution  has  passed,  decant  the  benzine,  and 
wash  the  filter  with  a  small  quantity  of  water,  so  as  to  avoid 
loss  ;  evaporate  the  liquid  by  a  gentle  heat,  until  all  traces  of 
benzine  have  disappeared ;  mix  this  with  twenty  fluidounces 
of  water,  allow  the  mixture  to  stand  a  few  hours,  and  filter 
through  paper ;  when  the  liquid  has  ceased  to  pass,  add  suffi- 
cient water  through  the  filter  to  make  the  filtered  liquid 
measure  a  pint  and  a  half ;  lastly,  add  the  alcohol,  and  mix 
them  together. 
It  has  long  been  admitted  that  aqueous  solutions  of  opium 
act  more  favorably  on  the  system  than  those  prepared  with 
alcohol,  or  than  the  drug  itself.  It  has  also  been  observed 
that  the  narcotic  power  of  the  aqueous  preparations  is  not  in 
exact  proportion  to  the  drug  represented,  being  somewhat  less. 
How  far  this  diminished  sedative  effect,  and  the  increased 
pleasantness  of  action,  is  due  to  the  absence  of  the  usual  quan- 
tity of  narcotina,  (which  is  but  imperfectly  abstracted  from 
opium  by  water,)  or  to  the  removal  of  the  odorous,  resinous 
and  fatty  principles,  has  not,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  been  satis- 
factorily determined. 
Deodorized  tincture  of  opium,  as  before  intimated,  when 
made  with  ether,  can  contain  but  little  narcotina,  and  only  a 
portion  of  the  codeia  of  the  drug. 
A  literal  interpretation  of  the  officinal  name  would  indicate 
a  faulty  nomenclature ;  for,  besides  being  deprived  of  odor,  at 
least  one  important  alkaloid  is,  to  a  considerable  extent,  absent 
from  the  tincture. 
A  deodorized  preparation,  more  nearly  representing  the 
