NOTE  ON  BATTLEY'S  SEDATIVE  SOLUTION  OF  OPIUM.  305 
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As  crude* opium  yields  from  a-half  to  eleven-twentieths  its 
weight  of  officinal  extract  to  cold  water,  his  recipe  makes  the 
preparation  somewhat  stronger  than  laudanum,  whilst  Prof.  Red- 
wood, in  his  "  Supplement  to  the  Pharmacopoeia,"  remarks, 
"  The  strength  of  the  liquor  is  about  equal  to  that  of  laudanum, 
and  is  given  in  nearly  equal  doses." 
Mr.  Wilkinson  (Pharm.  Jour.  vol.  xii.  page  253)  assayed  the 
genuine  liquor  opii  sedativus,  and  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  * 
it  was  intended  to  be  of  the  strength  of  the  laudanum  of  the  Lon- 
don Pharmacopoeia.  Hence  I  believe  we  may  fairly  assume,  from 
the  evidence,  that  its  strength  corresponds  with  that  of  lauda- 
num. Battley's  sedative  solution  is  imported  at  a  price  which 
places  it  beyond  the  reach  of  many  for  whom  opium  is  pre- 
scribed, retailing  at  one  dollar  per  fluidounce.  This  is  a  sufficient 
reason  why  the  preparation,  if  it  has  merit,  should  be  made 
here,  and  by  a  regular  and  recognized  formula.  Now,  if  phy- 
sicians -who  desire  to  use  this  preparation  would  employ  the 
"  deo3orized  tincture  of  opium  "  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  they 
will  find  all  the  merit  which  Battley's  solution  can  have,  in  & 
greater  degree,  assuming  it  to  be  made  by  the  formula  above 
noted  or  an  analogous  one.  It  is  pretty  well  understood  that 
the  substance  or  substances  which  render  laudanum  offensive  to 
many  persons,  consist  of  the  odorous  rank  matter  and  probably 
resinous  matter.  By  using  cold  water  much  of  these  principles 
is  avoided,  especially  if  the  watery  solution  is  evaporated  to  dry- 
ness and  the  extract  re-dissolved,  which  rejects  more.  For  the 
same  reason  old  dry  opium  pills,  and  roasted  opium  are  less 
oifensive  to  some,, patients  than  opium  in  its  recent  state.  In 
Dr.  Squibb's  Liquor  Opii  Compositus  the  eame  method  of  get- 
ting rid  of  the  odorous  matter  is  resorted  to,  including  the 
evaporation  and  ethereal  treatment,  with  the  addition  of  some 
Hoffman's  Anodyne  as  a  corrective.  In  view  of  all  the  evi- 
dence, we  believe  that  deodorized  tincture  of  opium  fully  repre- 
sents Battley's  solution  in  strength  and  in  acceptability  to  the 
stomach ;  and  that  the  apothecary  is  justified  in  preparing 
Battley's  solution  by  the  formula  above  given. 
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