AMERICAN  OPIUM  FROM  VERMONT. 
513 
or  chalky  deposits."  She  had  been  troubled  for  a  long  time  by 
menstrual  irregularities,  and  a  cough  which  was  pronounced  by 
some  of  her  physicians  as  consumptive.  When  she  first  came  to 
the  spring  she  had  to  be  carried  about  like  a  child  by  her  serv- 
ants, owing  to  the  extreme  debility  and  pain  under  which  she 
suffered.  We  are  not  told  of  the  length  of  time  during  which 
the  water  was  used,  nor  the  quantity  drank  ;  but  the  results  are 
very  striking.  "  In  thirteen  days  she  was  enabled  to  walk 
with  but  little  assistance  from  her  servant,  and  improved  so 
rapidly  in  all  respects  that  she  now  appears  to  be  permanently 
cured,  being  relieved  from  the  cough,  general  debility  and  the 
irregularities  referred  to,  also  the  enlargements  or  chalky  deposits 
around  the  joints.  When  she  came  to  the  Spring  she  only 
weighed  61  pounds  ;  she  now  weighs  90  pounds." 
t>  The  sensible  operation  of  the  Gettysburg  waters,  taken  to  the 
extent  of  a  pint,  is  sometimes  aperient,  and  even  in  smaller 
quantities  diuretic.  It  effects  some  persons  who  drink  it  with 
slight  vertigo,  showing  a  certain  amount  of  action  on  the  nervous 
system. 
Philad.,  Oct.,  1868. 
NOTE  ON  AMERICAN  OPIUM  FROM  VERMONT. 
By  William  Procter,  Jr. 
A  few  weeks  ago  my  attention  was  called  to  a  sample  of 
"  opium,"  by  Mr.  C.  Wilson,  of  Monkton,  Addison  Co.,  Vermont, 
who  said  he  had  been  requested  by  persons  interested  in  the  suc- 
cess of  his  enterprise  to  have  it  examined.  On  inquiry  as  to  its 
origin,  Mr.  Wilson  said  it  was  of  his  own  production  in  the  neigh- 
borhood above  mentioned,  and  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  the 
culture  for  several  years,  and  that  it  was  quite  lucrative.  After 
the  weather  was  settled  in  the  spring  the  seed  of  the  opium  poppy 
(Papaver  somniferum)  was  sown  in  ground  prepared  as  for  a 
garden,  in  which  the  plants  grew  vigorously,  and  about  the  mid- 
dle of  August  the  capsules  attained  their  size.  The  collection 
of  the  juice  was  commenced  at  this  time  and  continued  until  the 
first  of  September,  when  the  whole  plants  were  cut,  bruised  with 
a  portion  of  alcohol  to  prevent  fermentation,  and  then  subjected 
to  strong  pressure ;  the  juice  thus  obtained  was  evaporated  to 
33* 
