496    Variation  in  Strength  of  Opium  Preparations.  { A Vov^X^"" 
THE  VARIATION  IN  STRENGTH  OF  THE  OPIUM  PREPARATIONS. 
BY  D.  B.  DOTT. 
In  the  following  communication,  the  subject  of  which  is  one  of  those 
suggested  for  investigation  by  the  Conference,  I  give  the  results  of  an 
examination  of  a  number  of  the  official  opium  preparations.  It  was 
not  thought  necessary  to  test  samples  of  all  these  preparations,  but 
only  of  the  tincture,  extract,  and  liquid  extract ;  the  morphia-strength 
of  which  will  probably  afford  a  sufficiently  accurate  idea  of  the  quality 
of  the  opium  preparations  at  present  supplied  to  the  public.  All  the 
samples  examined  were  procured  from  druggists  of  good  standing  in 
London,  Dublin  and  Edinburgh. 
In  the  first  place  I  give  the  assays  of  a  variety  of  opiums,  with  the 
amount  of  extract  obtained  from  each.  The  percentage  of  extract 
was  not  found  directly,  but  by  subtracting  the  percentages  of  water  and 
insoluble  residue  from  100,  the  difference  being  the  percentage  of  dry 
extract.  The  proportion  of  the  morphia  in  the  extract  is  calculated 
from  the  result  of  the  opium 'assay. 
It  will  be  seen  from  this  table  that  the  richest  extract  obtained  would 
contain  34*4  per  cent,  of  morphia,  while  the  poorest  would  contain 
13*7  per  cent.  Whence  it  is  manifest  that  two  chemists,  starting  with 
opiums  perfectly  answering  the  "  Pharmacopoeia  "  tests,  and  strictly 
following  the  officinal  process,  might  succeed  in  preparing  extracts, 
one  of  which  would  be  more  than  twice  the  strength  of  the  other. 
Description  of 
Opium  used. 
Morphia 
per  cent. 
Water 
per  cent. 
Aqueous 
extract  per 
cent. 
Residue 
insoluble  in 
water  per  ct. 
Morphia  in 
extract  per 
cent. 
1 . 
Turkey 
10-75 
19*6 
47*80 
32  60 
22*4 
2. 
<( 
12*30 
20*0 
51*15 
28-85 
24*0 
3- 
<« 
I0"20 
26*0 
48*05 
25'95 
21*2 
4- 
«< 
7'57 
21*2 
54-90 
23-70 
i3'7 
5- 
<< 
960 
22'0 
47*05 
30-95 
20*4 
6. 
«« 
1 169 
18*4 
56>I5 
*5'45 
20-8 
7. 
«< 
12*30 
19*2 
54'9o 
25*90 
22'4 
8. 
(« 
12*30 
20*4 
45-40 
34-20 
27-0 
9- 
(< 
6*76 
27-2 
37-00 
35'8o 
18*2 
10. 
«< 
9*80 
21*2 
40*00 
38*80 
24-5 
11. 
tt 
8*85 
22.8 
47-50 
29*70 
i8*6 
12. 
«« 
6*93 
*  iv* 
20-10 
47*90 
34-4 
13- 
Persian 
6.00 
14*0 
59-20 
26*80 
IO*I 
14. 
(< 
8*50 
12*0 
6o'6o 
27-40 
14  0 
15- 
(< 
2*IO 
1 6*o 
58-10 
2590 
3-6 
16. 
"      in  sticks 
traces 
15*6 
73'9° 
10-50 
traces 
17- 
Malwa 
7'3o 
15  2 
60*70 
24*10 
12-0 
18. 
<< 
5-80 
13  6 
61*10 
25-20 
9-5 
19. 
Egyptian 
7-00 
14-8 
56*90 
28  30 
12*3 
