REPORT ON IMPORTED ADULTERATED DRUGS. 205 
a less price that from -^60 to $S0 per quintal of !00 pounds. 
The worthless article, particularly referred to above, comes 
principally from Europe, and seems to be made up of the 
different varieties already named, as well as to be in a great- 
ly deteriorated condition from age, or from having had its 
medicinal virtues extracted, for the purpose of making the 
extract of Peruvian bark, a valuable medicine. 
From appearances, it consists mainly of refuse material 
collected together in foreign warehouses for exportation. It 
is invoiced from 2 to 7 cents per pound. Thousands of 
pounds of this trash have pased through the New York 
custom-house, at the above price, during the past year, and 
may justly be considered very dear even at those rates. 
Oolumho and gentian roots, and many more of the im- 
portant crude drugs, come to us in a similar worthless con- 
dition. 
Opium. — An article of priceless worth in the treatment 
of disease, is now sent to this country in a greatly and dan- 
gerously adulterated state; and as a proof that the fraud 
carried on in the preparation of this valuable drug is now 
made not only a regular, but an extensive business, we are 
assured, on most reliable aiuhority, that it is shipped directly 
from Smyrna, the most important place of its production, 
deprived not unfrequently of two-thirds of its active prin- 
ciple, that proportion of its medicinal property having been 
extracted for the manufacture of morphine. Opium is 
found to be adulterated with Spanish liquorice paste, com- 
bined with a small quantity of some bitter extract, and 
when but moderately deteriorated in this way, the fraud is 
not easily detected at first view; but it has been passed from 
Smyrna, hy the way of some of the European markets, so 
freely adulterated, that the fraud was readily detected mere- 
ly by the smell ! no analysis being necessary. Tlie so- 
called opium of this description is often found infested with 
living worms. Of course this decaying mass is not sold to 
the retailer or jobber in this condition, but is previously 
