462  Contributions  from  the  School  of  Pharmacy,  etc.{^'^-},l^'-J^^''^- 
The  morphia  was  not  as  pure  in  the  latter  as  in  the  former  process^ 
and  the  repeated  recrystallizations  caused  continued  diminutions  in  its 
quantity. 
By  the  U.  S.  P.  process,  smaller  percentages  were  obtained,  as  the 
loss  by  animal  charcoal  could  not  be  wholly  prevented.  Schacht's  process 
(1862)  requires  the  decolorization  of  the  opium  infusion  with  animal 
charcoal,  after  which  the  filtrate  is  set  aside  with  excess  of  ammonia, 
and  the  crystals  well  washed  with  ether  for  extraction  and  determina- 
tion of  narcotina.  DragendorfF,  in  his  recent  valuable  work,*  states 
the  loss  by  this  use  of  animal  charcoal  to  be  about  i  per  cent.  He 
recommends  its  omission,  substituting  purification  by  washing  the  crude 
morphia  with  dilute  alcohol,  or  else  dissolving  in  acidulated  water  and 
precipitating  by  ammonia.  (This  precipitate  will  be  crystalline  and 
requires  time).  Of  the  processes  above  named,  the  investigator  at 
present  prefers  Hager-Jacobsen's,  both  because  of  its  good  results  and 
because  it  is  completed  in  a  shorter  time  than  the  others. 
The  first  sample  of  ''^American  Opium  "  was  obtained  at  a  dispensing 
ipharmacy  in  Toledo,  Ohio,  with  the  assurance  that  it  came  from 
Southern  Ohio,  was  two  years  old,  was  believed  to  be  veritable  opium, 
but  was  never  dispensed  in  prescriptions.  It  is  darker  in  color  than 
genuine  opium,  with  nearly  the  same  consistence,  and  permeated  with 
small  crystals,  just  distinctly  visible  to  the  naked  eye.  It  has  an  odor 
resembling  both  tobacco  and  licorice,  but  not  resembling  opium.  It 
has  no  taste  of  opium.  It  was  found  to  be  destitute  both  of  morphia 
and  of  narcotina.  Water  dissolved  89*4  per  cent,  of  it,  the  solution 
containing  much  gum  and  rapidly  fermenting.  The  crystals  were 
found  to  be  potassium  nitrate.  A  trace  of  alkaloid  was  indicated  by  a 
slight  precipitate  with  potassio-mercuric  iodide,  but  the  examination 
was  not  extended  to  any  further  definite  result. 
The  second  sample  was  obtained  at  a  pharmacy  in  Detroit,  Mich., 
after  fruitless  inquiry  for  American  opium  at  a  large  number  of  stores 
in  that  city.  It  was  marked  "  Wilson's  American  Opium,"  and  was 
stated  to  have  cost  $4  per  lb.,  and  that  it  was  not  used  except  for  lau- 
danum for  external  application  !  It  closely  resembled  the  other  sam- 
ple, having  neither  the  appearance,  taste  or  odor  of  opium,  and  not 
containing  morphia  or  narcotina,  at  least  in  quantities  distinguishable 
by  ordinary  means. 
*  "  Werthbestimmung  elniger  starkwirkender  Droguen,"  82. 
