An-,  'mir.  Pbarm. 
June,  1895. 
}    Notes  on  Some  Saps  and  Secretions. 
327 
1895  a  very  much  larger  quantity  will  be  planted.  The  Persian 
merchants  are  looking  with  keen  and  anxious  eyes  to  the  report  of 
the  opium  commission  in  India,  and  their  future  conduct  will  be 
greatly  biased  by  it. 
In  Khorassan  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  has  increased  ten-fold 
within  the  last  fifteen  years.  That  destined  for  China  is  mixed 
with  linseed  oil,  in  the  proportion  of  6  or  7  pounds  to  each  chest. 
That  sent  to  England  is  pure.  Persian  opium  is  fast  overtaking 
Patna  opium  in  Chinese  estimation,  according  to  the  advancing 
prices.  A  very  few  years  ago  it  was  quoted  at  less  than  half  the 
price  of  the  Indian  drug. 
The  poppy  is  now  grown  in  many  parts  of  Europe,  France,  Ger- 
many, etc.,  and  is  even  extending  to  Australia  and  Africa.  Opium 
raised  in  Europe  is  stated  to  yield  from  8  to  13  per  cent,  of  mor- 
phine. The  main  value  of  opium  depends  on  its  contents  of  mor- 
phia, for  which  the  genus  Papaver  (as  far  as  heretofore  known) 
remains  the  sole  source. 
Not  less  than  fourteen  alkaloids  have  been  detected  in  opium  by 
the  progressive  strides  of  organic  chemistry, 
The  Persian  opium  is  packed  in  chests  containing  a  little  over 
1  cwt.  The  price  in  1894  was  £71,  10s.  to  £72,  10s.  per  chest.  It 
is  nearly  all  prepared  for  the  China  market,  and  there  are  only  one 
or  two  native  merchants  who  have  sufficient  knowledge  to  prepare 
the  high-class  article  required  by  the  London  market.  The  crop 
was  smaller  than  in  previous  years. 
The  total  quantity  prepared  in  Shiraz  was  about  1,300  chests,  of 
an  approximate  value  of  ,£93,500. 
The  partial  destruction  of  the  opium  crops  in  1893  was  a  heavy 
blow  to  Persian  commerce.  The  yield  for  the  year  was  very  poor, 
and  the  value  of  the  total  export  shows  a  decrease  of  ^132,000 
when  compared  with  the  export  of  1892.  The  exports  from  the 
port  of  Bunder  Affas  in  1892  and  1893  were  as  follows  : 
Peucedanum  Galbanifcrnm  and  PolylopJiinm  Galbanum. — These 
two  plants  are  said, to  furnish  the  medicinal  gum  resinous  exudation 
known  as  galbanum.  It  used  to  be  referred  to  Ferula  galbanijlua, 
Boissier,  a  Persian  species.    Galbanum  may  be  distinguished  from 
Chests. 
Value. 
1892 
1893 
746 
743 
=£37,300 
36,578 
